


The Bells Rang, She Listened.

by Not_So_Dark_One



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Daenerys Targaryen, Badass, Blood and Violence, Boatbaby (Game of Thrones), Canon Lesbian Relationship, Daenerys Targaryen Deserves Better, Daenerys Targaryen Is Not a Mad Queen, Daenerys Targaryen Lives, Dark Daenerys Targaryen, Dark Jon Snow, Dark Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Dark Sansa, Dead Sansa Stark, Don't read, Dothraki, Dragon Riders, Endgame Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Episode Fix-It: s08e05 The Bells, Episode Fix-it, F/M, Fix-It, Game of Thrones Alternate Season 08, Happy Ending, House Targaryen, I shall deliver, Jon Snow Knows Something, Jon Snow is Not a Stark, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Mad Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Matchmaker Tyrion Lannister, Minor Meera Reed/Bran Stark, Not Anymore, Not too much, Other: See Story Notes, POV Bran Stark, POV Daenerys, POV Jon Snow, POV Lesbian Character, POV Tyrion Lannister, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s08e05 The Bells, Pro Dany, Queen Daenerys, Queen Sansa, R Plus L Equals J, Sansa Stark is Queen in the North, Self-Indulgent, Sexual Violence, Sibling Incest, Targaryen Babies, Targaryen Incest, Targaryen Madness, Targaryen Restoration, Time Skips, Twincest, Tyrion Lannister Ships It, Warg Bran Stark, Westeros, Westerosi Politics, and possibly hate me before even finding out my reasoning, anti Sansa, bran has a heart, bran is not a zombie, but i want to show some of that too, dead robin arryn, eventually, i hate explaining myself in 100 comments, if you don't like, in one chapter, let's not get into details, please, pro jon, the ending that was promised, to this story, you will read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-01-02 07:22:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21157802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_So_Dark_One/pseuds/Not_So_Dark_One
Summary: Alternate season 8, episodes 5 and 6. The Jonerys endgame we deserve. While I was not a fan of the canon ship, I decided to make one better. The story starts at that critical moment during the battle of King's Landing, where the bells ring in surrender. The moment that D&D revealed just how bad they are with scripts.This story is completely original from the battle of KL's most intense moment forward, though I shall keep to canon with all the preceding events, mostly. I have no idea just how long I will be able to make it, but I hope it lasts for at least 10 chapters or so, I want to cover many things and I have never been able to make a story's length estimation.The story will consists of two parts: The actual fix-it plus a sequel to the GoT events, titled The Next Generation.Either way, enjoy this and please comment and discuss your views in the comment section.





	1. The Bells

The bells were ringing. She could hear them vividly. Even on dragon back. Especially on dragon back. She had done it. She had burned down Euron's fleet. Scorpions were only effective if you couldn't see them coming. Elsewise, they were easy to avoid. After all, they needed to be reloaded by men. Nervous and scared men. And her dragon was faster than them. She burned that fucking fleet in minutes. A thousand ships burning like so many candles. The ships that had captured Yara, that had taken the Sand Snakes and their mother to their deaths. They were destroyed in the fires of her fury. The walls were easy enough to destroy, along with the Golden Company outside of them. So much for their sterling reputation. The scorpions mounted on the walls also posed as much of a challenge as the ones on the Iron fleet's ships.

Nothing at all.

She stood now, on top of her last child, watching it. The Red Keep, the Iron throne inside. All the grief it caused her.

And that woman. The bitch, Cersei Lannister. The woman who killed her last friend. She was alone now. All alone.

_Burn them all!_ Whispered a voice in her head. The voice was hoarse, a man's voice she did not know. 

_BURN THEM ALL! Burn them in their houses, in their shops, in their beds, in their cribs. Leave only ashes behind. They deserve it._

That last part was her voice. Her voice, in her head. Maybe she was her father's daughter. The Mad King's Daughter. They called her thus, even though she deserved it not. She had done nothing to be ashamed of. Not yet anyways.

Should she? Should she take it out on that accursed city, she suffered so much for? Should she just...burn it all down?

NO.

NO MORE.

No more. No more. No more. No more. No more.

She is not her father's daughter. She is the mother of dragons. She is the queen. And she will not be a monster.

She steadied her breathing, even though it was difficult with all the tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked down upon the city. Her city. She had to secure it now. The streets were filled with her men and all the people, screaming and running in all directions. _The innocents_, she thought. They had no love for her, not yet. And how could they? Under Cersei's thumb, they must have thought that no monarch could possibly be a good person. She will show them different. But until then, fear will have to do. She saw a particular street, divided in two. On one side stood her men, led by Jon and Grey Worm, and on the other some trembling Lannister troops, their weapons in their feet. They had surrendered. Truly. It was not another trick.

Daenerys had Drogon fly closer to them and land on the nearest to the men building. The structure began to crumble beneath his weight, but did not shatter completely.

"BRING HER TO ME!", she shouted to the Lannister men. "Bring her to me and I will let you live. Bring her to me....NOW!" 

She had to punish her. For Missandei and all her losses. She had to punish someone. Violently. She needed to unleash all that anger inside her. She had to.

Next, she turned to her men: "The battle is over!", she declared. "We have won."

The shouts and cheers of her people were deafening. The bloody northerners, who obviously followed her for Jon only, cheered too. After all, at least here, they suffered no casualties. Not one. All the dead were enemies. To be honest, Dany did not need any of them for this. She might as well have taken the city all by herself.

"Secure the city. Capture all my enemies. Bring their commanders to the throne room."

* * *

And there it was. The throne room and its Iron throne. The thousand blades of Aegon's enemies, pried from their cold, or scorched, dead hands.... She imagined it bigger than that. Perhaps the singers have exaggerated its size. It was no larger than a regular throne. And yet it was more. It was a symbol of power. Whoever sits upon it, twitching so as not to get pricked on it, rules the Seven Kingdoms. Her ancestors before he wicked father. The usurpers after him. And now...now its her turn.

She sat upon it. Strangely enough, it was not uncomfortable. Maybe hard and nowhere near as soft as a seat that one is supposed to sit in for hours ought to be, but not too uncomfortable. In fact, it had an almost soothing feeling to it. Back in Braavos, in the house with the red door, she had a nightmare about the throne raping her with its many jagged edges, ripping her innocence from her and leaving her drenched in blood. A prophetic dream it seems it was.

And now, she had it. And she was all alone. Jon will not love his aunt. And their children will die in her womb, just like that witch said. She knew she was with child. She knew since the end of the Battle of Ice and Fire, as people called it. She never told Jon though. He made an effort to stay away from her. Only Missandei knew and she was gone now. Rest in peace, sweetling. Rest in peace. Dany had ordered that her body be preserved, the head stitched back to it. She would give her a proper send off. She would cremate her, like the Targaryens honor their dead, for she was her family, in fact if not in blood. Her children will never be born, but she will survive this as well. She will survive anything that the Gods threw at her and once she meets them in the afterlife, she will kill them all._ So they best hope, I have a life, long enough for my forgiving nature to kick in, or else..._

As she was buried in her thoughts, she saw the doors open once again. They were led in. 

Cersei Lannister, the focus of all her hatred right now, was kicking and screaming and cursing. If Daenerys knew no better, she would think it is not the same woman, who coldly ordered Missandei's death, who betrayed all the living for her own selfish gain.

Euron Greyjoy, as smug as usual. Does he not fear death, the murderer of her dearest Rhaegal? She will have to teach him better.

And...Jaime Lannister. What the hell is he doing here? Shouldn't he be in Winterfell, the place where all her sorrow was given birth?

They were all brought to their knees, held in place by her men. Tyrion walked up to her, guilt in his eyes.

"Your Grace, please do not...", she cut him off.

"What is your brother doing here?", she asked.

"Khaleesi," one of her bloodriders, Madorro, addressed her. "We captured the man with the golden hand near the city. We had him chained up in a tent, until he disappeared.", he looked at Tyrion. "We found all of these people near a cave, just outside the city."

She looked at Tyrion. What was that in his eyes, she wonders? Fear or guilt? 

"Do you have anything to add, my lord hand?", she knew he had done it. Who else? WHY?

"Your grace, when I...learned that he was captured, I went to see him. When I released him, I hoped that he could convince Cersei to surrender.", sheep bleated. 

"You are either a fool to believe that or you just wanted to save your wretched siblings. Which is it?"

The silence was deafening. 

"My brother does not deserve to die.", he muttered through his teeth. 

"Your sister?", she asked.

"She...she does.", he answered but still there was pain in those tormented eyes of his. Does he still love the sister, that had wanted him dead since the day he first drew breath?

"And what about you, lord Tyrion?", she asked. "Do you deserve to die?"

He shivered, but he looked at her eyes. There was fear in those mismatched eyes of his. 

"Maybe I do.", he admitted. "This was treason and my advice has been hardly useful to you. And I most certainly do not deserve this.", he said, pointing to the hand pin, stuck on his doublet.

"I will not kill you. Nor shall I dismiss you. But I shall punish you.", she said.

"Forgive me for not paying my respects earlier, your grace.", she addressed Cersei Lannister, while making a mocking bow. "How are you feeling today?" 

Jon could sense it. Her anger, her passion. For fire, for blood, for vengeance. Passions that he now shared as well. Jon had been conflicted since the day he learned of his true parentage. His heart was split. He felt as if it would split in two from all this. His father, his role model, was not his father. He was a liar. And his true father, the noble prince Rhaegar Targaryen, was murdered by Robert Baratheon, the Honorable lord Eddard Stark's best friend. And for what? Because that sot could not stomach the fact that Jon's mother, Lyanna Stark, loved another man. An entire rebellion built on a lie. A lie that had condemned so many people to death and suffering. A lie that had destroyed Dany's childhood. He felt guilty for all that. So much so that he had left her to grieve the loss of her children, his mount Rhaegal included, and her best and closest friends all alone. How could he talk to her now? How to explain how sorry he was for acting like a fool? A northern fool. He had to tell her. She is not alone. Not anymore. And if anyone tries to stand between them, he will kill them himself. Whoever they are.

"It seems that taking your city was not so difficult after all. And here I thought it would be a challenge.", Dany continued ranting to the former holder of her throne. 

"You will never have it, you bitch.", Cersei shouted, through the tears in her eyes. "You will never be anything more than a filthy foreign whore. A usurper, a horsefucker a....", she was cut off, when Dany gave her a mighty kick to her face.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I HATE YOU? HOW MUCH I HAVE SUFFERED, BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR FUCKING FAMILY? DO YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH?", Dany screamed at her, while gauging Cersei's eyes. She had pressed her thumbs inside Cersei's eye sockets and violently bashed her head on the floor, to the horror of the Lannisters.

Tyrion had averted his eyes, tears obviously flowing from his eyes. The Kingslayer was screaming and struggled to go help her, but the Dothraki held him in place, forcing him to watch their Khaleesi exact her revenge upon Cersei. 

The others had different looks in their faces. The Dothraki cheered her on. The Northern soldiers clearly enjoyed themselves as well, judging from the look on their faces. And Jon...Jon smiled. For once, both halves of his heart were in alignment. He liked what he saw. The Lannisters, the family that had all but destroyed both of his, finally getting what they deserved.

Daenerys kept bashing Cersei's head in the ground and by the time she stopped, Cersei was most certainly dead. Her head was a bloody mess, entangled in golden hair. Her body - no longer twitched. Jaime Lannister was on his knees, sobbing, lying on the floor. _Has he lost the will to live? Good._ Dany rose, drenched in Lannister blood. She looked glorious.

"That was magnificent.", Euron Greyjoy, all but forgotten, exclaimed. "I should have gone straight for you. Not for that cheap substitute. Hey, we could still be together. I will make you moan with pleasure."

And they called Dany mad. That man...is he perchance Aerys's bastard son? Maybe. Dany was most certainly not amused.

"You...are you the one who shot down Rhaegal?", she asked.

"Aye", he admitted with an obvious pride. "They call me Euron Dragonslayer now. But I could lay some eggs inside you."

Jon hit him in the head with Longclaw's pommel. Daenerys might be in a blood frenzy, too hazy to react swiftly to these insults, but he was not. He will not suffer insults to her. Not anymore. Not from anyone.

She looked at him. He could swear there was longing in her eyes and he hoped that was the case. Then she returned to look at Euron.

"You don't fear death, do you?", she asked.

"No, I do not."

"Well then, we shall teach you...", she leaned in closer. "the true meaning of horror.", she said and Jon could swear that the smug look in Greyjoy's eyes vanished for a moment. "Take them to the dungeons."

* * *

The days after the battle, things started to look different. The streets were not so chaotic anymore. The people and the soldiers were rebuilding the little damage that had happened to the city. If not for the Targaryen banners all over the place as well as the broken walls, one would think that no battle had happened here. Tyrion was proud to see that Varys was wrong about her. But still...Cersei's death was brutal. Savage even. Not that he pitied her. Her end would have always been that. Perhaps, if she hadn't been such a monster, at least to Daenerys, she might have been allowed exile. Tyrion mourned the concept of a sister, not Cersei. He was sad for Jaime too. Jaime who came all this ways to save her, from Daenerys's fury and Cersei herself, only to be forced to watch her die. He was not dead at least, so there was hope. Perhaps, Both of them will be spared. He will try. He will do his best. First, he needed to prove himself to Daenerys. To prove to her that he was not a fool, like his failures screamed in his head. He had to. He will help her solidify her control over Westeros. He will make Sansa Stark see reason and bend the knee. He will, else....the violence continues. And so does the bloody game of thrones. 

He stood in the throne room now. It was time for her coronation. Lords and rulers from all over Westeros had come to witness it. The new prince of Dorne, Moran Martell, the youngest sibling of the late prince Doran, was also in attendance. Apparently, the man had been imprisoned by Ellaria Sand during her coup but after her death and the demise of Oberyn's eldest daughters he had easily taken over Dorne. The man will soon be kneeling for Daenerys to pledge his fealty. Present were also the new lord Baratheon, Robert's bastard son Gendry, whom Daenerys legitimized at Winterfell recently, as well as Edmure Tully. She had restored the man to Riverrun, after he pledged himself to her. It was obviously reluctant, but he had no choice. The man should be grateful. After all, Daenerys released him, whereas his nephews and nieces had left him to rot in the dungeons of Casterly Rock. Lord Baelor Hightower, the new lord of Oldtown and potential lord paramount of the Reach was also present. Many other lords were here also, but for some reason, there was no one from the Vale and the North. Predictably. Well, except for Arya Stark, the hero of Winterfell. Apparently, she and the Hound had come here to kill Cersei and the Mountain. Cersei had managed to slip past them, obviously just so that she could die at Daenerys's hands, but the Mountain and the Hound fought and killed each other. _Good riddance, I say_.

What worried him was the murmurs of the lords here. They knew. They had received letters from Varys, explaining of Jon Snow's real identity. The thought of what might follow soon chilled his heart.

All the murmurs and conversations in the throne room died down as Daenerys entered, dressed in black and red, looking like the queen she is. To the surprise of all present, she entered hand in hand with Jon Snow, or is it Aegon Targaryen now. The man was dressed in a similar style. They reached the throne of legend and stopped before it. Jon revealed a crown, a circlet made of Valyrian Steel, with red rubies on it. The crown of the Conqueror. Fitting.

"I Aegon of House Targaryen," nobody missed the fact that he used his birth name. "renounce all right to the Iron throne of Westeros." The murmurs returned. Tyrion guessed it was not difficult to convince the man to do so, given he wanted no crowns and titles.

He continued: "I hereby proclaim, Daenerys of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of Kings, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!"

The shouts of the crowd were deafening but the true shock, at least to Tyrion came after that, as Jon knelt and Daenerys pulled another crown, made of silver, with wolf and dragon heads adorning it.

"And I, Daenerys of House Targaryen, First of My Name, proclaim my husband, prince Aegon Targaryen, Prince Consort of the Seven Kingdoms!"


	2. The Coin Toss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to explain their married status. Plus, what comes after the coronation.

**5 days ago...**

After Euron Greyjoy and Jaime Lannister were both taken to the dungeons, she ordered for a full sweep of the castle. While Dany was certain that nobody will oppose her, she had to be sure. There were also the rumors of Wildfire, hidden beneath the Red Keep and the whole city so she sent her men to search for all that and safely remove the threat. 

"Hang the corpse of that bitch from the gates of the city. Let all know what happens to all those who dare oppose me!", she ordered to no one in particular, but a few of her Unsullied took to the task. Soon enough all the lords of Westeros will be swarming the city to bend the knee to me. The lords of Westeros are sheep after all, just like lady Olenna had said. They will obey those they fear. I will show them what I have done to the person they used to fear most. Let them make their conclusions. She went to have a look around the castle. She wanted to see where her family ruled. She wanted to be alone but Jon insisted on following her and she agreed. Could she salvage her relationship with him? Or is he just waiting to return to Winterfell?

They walked through countless corridors, mostly empty. Apparently, many servants had taken care to flee the castle and the ones who are left said that most of those did not leave it alive. She knew by now. Cersei had meant to deter her from burning the castle, by hiding behind the smallfolk. The cowardly bitch. 

_You should have let your Dotrhaki take turns raping her. And then your horses. Maybe even your Drogon could take a turn._

She banished the wicked thoughts from her head. Her inner beast given voice, whispering to her worst instincts. By now, she had grown used to them. Do the opposite of what they say! Simple, really. Even though that particular suggestion was quite enticing, but she was not a person to condone rape. NEVER. Not even to someone like Cersei Lannister. Dany may be the monster people said she was, but even monsters have principles. They say that when a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin and the world holds its breath to see where it shall land. Greatness or madness. Let them hold it. Her coin might as well keep spinning for the rest of her life.

After she got a bit tired from all the walking around, they decided to take a brake and entered a bedchamber, which apparently used to be Cersei's.

"I want to talk with you.", Jon said, in a tone that was more serious than usual.

"About what?", she asked. "You want to return North or...", he prevented her from talking by way of a kiss. A deep passionate kiss, she did not think he would ever give her again. She did not want it to be over, ever, but he pulled off eventually.

"Dany, I am so sorry. For not being there for you. For being so damn confused...I...", this time she was the one who shut him up with a kiss. A sloppy, wet and passionate one. Their kiss grew into something else though as clothes started to fall off one after the other until they were both as naked as the day they were born. How fortunate that they picked a room with a comfortable bed!

{Oh, dear reader. I am certain that you have had your fill with all the different stories about Jon and Dany fucking like rabbits, so I will skip this part. Though if you want food for your imagination I shall indulge you with this: Imagine all the naughtiest, sweatiest and sluttiest porn you have ever read and seen, well place it here, multiply the erotic factor by a hundred and you will get a close approximation of what Jon and Dany are doing to each other after not having had sex since a certain boat....}

After what seemed like an eternity of bliss passed, Dany decided to ask: "What is it that brought this on? I thought that you have forsaken me, since...you know the time in the crypts."

"I was confused, Dany. I...my whole world was shattered and another one was struggling to take its place and I was in the middle, all alone and trying to pick up the pieces. And nobody was helping."

"I am sorry. I should have said something. I should have thought of more than just the bloody throne."

"Aye, but I should have done something, too. Or rather not do - tell Sansa and Arya about it. It seems that I was, in the end, a northern fool."

"In that case, I am a southern fool."

"What do we do now, Dany? I will not let them separate us. Not again. I don't care what they think."

"You don't know how happy this makes me. Jon, I...always wanted a home."

"And now you have. And you will not be alone."

"Yes, I will not.", she said and because of some instinct, beyond her control, she rubbed her belly.

"When? How? I thought..."

"I know. I didn't believe it either, but I am. I think since the boat. It's starting to show. And I am even starting to forget about the witch and her curse."

"Maybe for a reason. I for one refuse to believe that some stupid witch has any influence over the mother of dragons.", he chuckled while feeling her stomach. Maybe, she could have it all. After all, she has done many impossible things before. Why not this?

"Listen, I know that we can't do this forever, but I want to keep it a secret for now. We are after all in a nest of snakes."

"I am pretty certain that most of the snakes are already dead. But fine, we shall. But I don't think that anyone will believe that Daenerys Targaryen has turned to fat so you best not postpone the announcement of the royal pregnancy for too long."

"I think that I prefer the brooding one."

"Well, I am sorry your Grace, but the brooding one has officially been murdered by you. Drowned in your love juices."

"A death most enjoyable, I am sure you would agree.", she said, pretending seriousness.

"Aye.", they laughed. 

"What do we do now though?", he asked again.

"Well, for one, we have to make certain that all of Westeros will bend the knee. Only this way, can we finally bring peace and prosperity to this godsforsaken country."

"Agreed. And before you ask, yes, Sansa and the North, too."

"But what about your claim? I know that you do not want it, but there will always be those, who would seek to use you for that.", she asked with genuine concern. She will burn every castle in Westeros before anyone so much as threatens this fragile chance of happiness they have.

"Well, I suppose that it is about time I stopped running from my destiny and my father's legacy. I said it before and I will say it again, you will always be my queen.", he said and got off the bed, pulling her too.   
As they both stood naked against each other, he knelt. "Daenerys of House Targaryen, will you make me the happiest man in the world and take me as your husband and consort?"

With tears in her eyes, she gave the only reply, she could: "Yes."

And she felt, with an absolute certainty, that her coin fell on the side of happiness.

* * *

**Present day.**

After the announcement, most of the lords started chatting amongst themselves, with obvious interest in the recent developments. To be honest, their marriage was the perfect and simple solution to the issues they faced. The only problem was that their passion seemed gone after the Battle against the Night King and the revelation of Jon's true identity. Not to mention that Winterfell was cold enough to extinguish any passion. And Tyrion was not thinking of the weather. Tyrion went to talk with his queen.

"So, I suppose congratulations are in order.", he said. This was the first time he was talking with her since the throne room. He was quite curious how they got married without his knowledge, but then again...Varys was dead.

"Thank you.", she replied turning to him. 

"When did it happen though? I thought your relationship was over."

"It turns out, my lord hand, it had never really began, until a few days ago." So it is a recent development. "After we had a certain...heated...conversation, we found a septon, swore him to secrecy and married privately. I am afraid that there are no witnesses."

"Weddings usually need one or two of those, but who would call the Mother of Dragons a liar?" not unless they want to burn, that is, but he left the last part unsaid.

"Oh, but I can assure you, the marriage has been thoroughly consummated.", she said with a smirk. _Of that I am certain._

"Well, then congratulations. I am not foolish enough to ask about the succession at this point."

"Nor should you.", there was a bit of spite in that, but unlike previous times, it was mixed with playfullness. Could she be...

"I wanted to tell you that I am not as foolish as before and I will serve as long as I can and as well as I can."

"Good to know.", she said. "Perhaps, ridding you of your sister helped with that." He could feel the spite in her tone.

"I wanted to ask for...", she cut him off. "your brother?"

"Yes."

"Well, I do know that you have seen that he has not been tortured."

"How do you know I went to see him?"

"Who do you think allowed that to happen? Flaunting your authority will help you no longer. You have as much authority as I grant you. No more and no less." It seems that she has heard how he got Jaime released the first time.

"I...he is a broken man your Grace. He is no threat to you." And the other man, Euron Greyjoy is going to be begging for death, judging from the many ideas that the rather talkative torturer of the Red Keep has about the 'treatment' of the former king of the Iron Islands.

"I know that. I also know that only a hypocrite will condemn him for many of his actions. But...what can one do with a broken man?" 

"Perhaps, if you let him go North..."

"For what? To join the bloody Night's watch?" She has started to curse more often, it seems. But yes, they will have to handle the North with care soon.

"No, my queen. To Winterfell. And a certain lady knight."

Tyrion had told her a most fascinating tale. Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Who knew? it seems that the opposites do attract each other. Well, she and Jon are ice and fire, after all.  
She had to talk with all the lords eventually, but she stopped her attention at the new lord Baratheon. She had given him his title and after Arya Stark broke his heart, if the rumors are to be believed, his loyalties ought to be only to her. And the rumors should be true enough, given that they seem to stay as far away from each other as possible in the throne room.

"Lord Gendry.", she greeted him.

"Your Grace.", he replied. "Congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you, my lord. Though I suppose, that given your new titles, you will have a bride too, soon enough." She had to confirm her suspicions and the look on his face did just that.

"I suppose I will have to. Some highborn girl most like. Lord Swann has been talking about his daughter Serena, since the day I first met him. How quickly they forget I am a bastard when I am also their liege lord. Not to mention, having your backing, your grace. I am not in a rush, though. There is still time for all that."

"I see. Well, speaking of your origins, what do you know of the city?"

"A great many things, my queen. Anything more specific?"

"Well, I would like you to tell me about the little birds?", she needed a new Master of Whisperers, but she left that unsaid.

"Lord Varys's spies? I see. Well, they are mostly children and sometimes their parents. Poor people, who need roofs over their heads, food on their tables and some coin in their purse. The practice has always been to give them that, as well as the occasional small favor or two. You will be surprised to hear just how much these basically invisible people can do."

Not that surprised, given that Varys had tried to poison her using one. She had to stay one step ahead of everyone in order to live in peace, so she needed information. She needed a spymaster.

"Can you introduce me to some of these people? One of them that all the others know, if possible?"


	3. The Capital of The Seven Kingdoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tour of the capital, a new grand maester and the thoughts of a hand...

A fortnight after the coronation, Dany was told that lord Baratheon had requested to show her around the city. Even though it was the center of her new realm, she knew next to nothing about the city that surrounded the Red Keep. That is why she took an escort made up of some Unsullied and some members of her Khallasar and went off to venture it. She was dressed in a more spacious dress, one which could still conceal the fact that she was more than five moons pregnant. Dany still feared openly acknowledging the fact that she is pregnant, even with the ever growing bulge in her belly. She feared that somehow by doing so, she would threaten it. The curse of Mirri Maz Duur still weighted on her. Jon was a great comfort, but she wouldn't calm herself completely until the child was born. Still, she would soon have to tell at least her small council about this. Not that she had even formed it yet. She had Tyrion, as Hand, ser Davos, as master of ships and the Citadel was sending her a new Grand Maester today, but that was all for now. She needed to fill the other positions.

King's Landing was roughly square shaped, sprawling across several miles and defended by tall walls. The city had three hills, each named after Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters. Aegon's hill was topped by the Red Keep itself. Visenya's hill was where the Great Sept of Baelor was located. 'Was' being the key word there. Cersei had destroyed it with Wildfire and had killed thousands of people, among whom were the majority of House Tyrell. _And to think that I almost did something far worse.... _She had promised to build a new one on the same place to the septon, who had married Jon and her. The man had been an old travelling septon named Meribald, who had come to help the fateful in the city, after the destruction of the Great sept. While Dany was by no means a pious woman, she certainly liked people like him and hoped that more septons were like him. 

Rhaenys's hill was topped by the Dragonpit. Built by Maegor the Cruel, it was to serve as the stables for the royal dragons. A fatal mistake. After generations of living in a tight isolated place, each successive generation of dragons grew smaller in both size and quantity until the last dragon was no larger than a dog. After that the pit was closed off. Until me. 

Drogon had chosen the place as his nest and she had decided to reuse the structure. While she would never chain the dragons, they needed a home. A place to lay their eggs. And yes, there will be more dragons. When she had ordered for the place to be rebuild for Drogon's residence, she had received complaints from the builders, saying that her last child was preventing them from entering. After going there herself, she discovered that the reason for Drogon's foul mood, apart from it being his usual demeanor, was that he was protecting his eggs. He had eggs. Four, to be exact. After the joyous feeling had somewhat died down, Dany ordered for there to be a permanent group of Unsullied to guard the Dragonpit and the eggs. After all, Drogon spent only his sleeping and feeding hours there and the rest of the time, he went off to hunt. And dragon eggs were quite expensive. Dany still remembers that selling one of those was enough to buy yourself a small army. While she was not going to do that, even though she was in need of money to refill the treasury, she had to find some source of income. The riches, she had plundered from Essos, were by no means endless.

Gendry had shown her around many of the markets of the city like the Street of Steel, where he had worked as a smith and the Street of Flour with all its bakers. All the people there selling their merchandise, brought from all over Westeros and the Free cities, reminded her of the markets of Vaes Dothrak. People, who were just trying to live by. The innocents, who cared not who ruled them as long as that person did not bother them. 

And then there was Flea Bottom. The slums, where the poorest of her subjects lived. The stench reminded her of the fighting pits in Meereen and even her usually stoic Unsullied reacted in disgust. The stench... In the future, she would definitely tear this place apart and rebuild it. She would not rule over a sty.   
There Gendry brought her into a house, larger than the others. According to him, it was an orphanage for children who had lost their parents in the War of the Five Kings. It had been founded by lady Margaery Tyrell, who was either caring towards the smallfolk or simply liked being loved by the commons. Dany chose to believe in the former. The place was overcrowded. It had two floors, a small kitchen and rooms filled with beds. After lady Margaery had died and the money stopped flowing into it, the proprietor had told the children that they had to generate a certain income for the establishment, elsewise they would be cast out on the streets. Some of them had become assistants to stonemasons, blacksmiths, seamstresses and bakers and so on, while other were forced to look for other types of...work, which were most certainly not for children. After hearing all this, she had summoned the proprietor and told the old crone that the Crown would be funding the place from now on and she better not be caught again forcing children to work, elsewise she would be turned to ash. The old woman was shaking like a leaf in front of the Mother of Dragons, but managed to mutter a 'Yes, your Grace'. 

Gendry then introduced her to some of the children he knew and specifically to Merrick. The boy had been making his money by being one of Varys's, and later Qyburn's, little birds. Apparently, the boy knew all the other spies in the city and thus was perfect for what she had intended. The 12-year-old was also smarter than he was given credit for, given that he was the only kid in the orphanage who could read and write and do sums.

"You must be a real prodigy, little one.", she had complimented him.

"When you have to survive on the streets, you either learn or you die, your Grace." Daenerys both pitied him for having such a harsh childhood and was glad that she had found somebody so useful.

"Yes, but so far I have yet to see someone as bright as you. Brighter than some lords, you know."

"Thank you.", he chuckled. "And for helping us out here. When lady Margaery had built this place, everyone was so nice, but after she died, it turned into hell."

"Well, not anymore. Listen, I have a small favor to ask of you..."

"To tell you interesting things?", he cut her off inadvertently. _Clever boy._

"Yes. I want to make this country a better place for everyone, including myself. However, there could be people out there who would try to stop me."

"Well, we are everywhere really and people don't seem to notice us. You would be surprised what people say, when they think no one is looking. So if you help us, we will help you."

"Of course. I am a woman of my word.", she replied. "By the way, what do people think of me?"

"Well, they are mostly confused. The old people say that your father was evil and queen Cersei said you were a foreign barbarian, but she was so scary that nobody really trusted her. And you haven't burned down the city, like she said, so..."

"I hope that I can win their trust then. Here take this.", she handed him a silver brooch, depicting her sigil. "If anyone makes trouble for you or your friends, show this to the nearest person of authority and tell them I gave it to you."

After spending some more time chatting with her new unofficial Master of Whisperers, as well as the other children there, she left back for the Red Keep. The day was soon to turn to night and she had a small council meeting to attend to. 

* * *

Ebrose was tired. As a man of sixty namedays, he was not made for such long journeys. And yet he had been elected as the new Grand Maester and swiftly sent to the capital. Pycelle had held the office since the time of Aegon the Unlikely. They had chosen a young man, since the last three Grand maesters all died within weeks of taking office. One had died on the way from Oldtown and Ebrose slightly feared following him into the grave. And yet he had his duty.   
As the second son of House Hightower, he was not going to inherit anything. But with his natural inclination towards knowledge, medicine specifically, he had become a most capable maester and then an archmaester of medicine.  
And now he is in King's Landing. The city looked nothing like the site of a fierce battle. The walls looked charred and there were stonemasons working on them, but apart from that there was no evidence of battle. Looking from afar, Ebrose could see the Targaryen banner flapping in the wind. It reminded him of the last time he was in the capital, some 50 years back, when his father had taken him and his brother, the late lord Leyton, to meet the king for some business or other. But the city was different now.  
The Great Sept of Baelor was naught but ash and ruin and the streets were filled with foreigners - Dothraki Screamers and Unsullied eunuchs, followers of the new queen.

Suddenly, a huge shadow was cast upon the land. He saw people gawking and pointing at the sky and he immediately figured out why. A dragon. Large enough to cast his shadow over half the city, given that it was flying low. But not as low as he had first assumed, it still flew higher than the tallest towers of the Red Keep reached. The dragon was as black as moonless night sky. A massive beast of war. To his relief, it seemed somewhat domesticated, since it made no move to assault people on the ground. It just flew over the city, making maneuvers in the clouds, almost as if showing off. _Seems that dragons and humans are not so different, after all._ It flew in the direction of the Dragonpit and landed there. It seems that place shall be filled with dragons once again. As a maester, devoted to studying new things, he took great offence at the vile and completely unjustified rumor that his order had any responsibility for the death of the dragons. They were a magnificent species which many a maester had devoted their lives to study. Their tragic extinction was brought on by the Targaryens themselves. They had imprisoned the creatures in that blasted building, which was terrible. Confined spaces and ever growing creatures that require food and freedom above all else did not mix. Next, there was the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war in which so many dragons were killed. If this dragon lays eggs, that mistake might be corrected. He will have to talk with the queen about all that.

The new Grand Maester had been so deep in thought that he didn't realize that the carriage had stopped in front of the Red Keep. As he got out, he saw his nephew, lord Baelor Hightower. 

"Ah, nephew. Good to see you here. Not that I am surprised." Ebrose knew that now that the Tyrells were gone, there would be a contest of power. Who would be the new Warden of the South? During the war, Cersei Lannister had killed most of the Tyrells and had appointed Randyll Tarly as warden. However, soon after that, the man was burned alive by Daenerys Targaryen and it was unlikely that the Tarlys would keep their new title. That reminded him of Samwell, his most disappointing apprentice since Qyburn. The boy had stolen several valuable tomes from the library and had escaped in the dead of night. _He showed such promise in the beginning. What a shame._

"Uncle, I am glad to see you as well.", said Baelor and tore him away from his reminiscing.

"Tell me, how are you faring here? How do you find the new queen?", asked Ebrose.

"She is...enigmatic to say the least. Kind and courteous, but she emits a certain aura of dread around her. As befits a dragon in the flesh after all. There are also the rumors of how she killed Cersei Lannister barehanded."

"I heard. Most savage. Is it true that her body still rots above the city gates. I failed to see it."

"Yes, above the Dragon gate. A most horrific sight, but given all that the wicked lioness had done, I do not think that anyone would judge the new queen for it."

"Yes, we live in savage times." All rulers are capable of great brutality. "Speaking of, how does your quest go?" By quest he meant his desire to be lord paramount. For that he needed the approval of the queen. Almost every major house in the Reach had the blood of the Tyrells and the Gardeners running through theirs, so it would be a civil war, if somebody just appointed themselves. Royal authority would make the transition of power smooth. Just like the last time, 300 years ago.

"Well, as you know, I have some pretty stiff competition. Namely lord Redwyne."

"Let me give you an advice. With so many good options, you ought to offer the best possible appeal."

"Bribe her you mean?"

"Yes. Given all the different competitors there are for the title, each of whom would be equally appealing to someone who does not know any of the lords of the Reach in person, you would have to offer something significant."

"Well, as you know as lord Hightower, I am also the owner of the Bank of Oldtown. With all the recent warfare, it has grown quite rich. The figures are...quite enticing. A most generous and sizeable donation to the royal coffers, for the good of the realm naturally, as well as food flowing to the capital to feed the masses, should prove very convincing I hope."

_Just like his grandfather._

* * *

Tyrion, by the grace of, well, her Grace, had remained as Hand of the Queen and now he had a lot of work to do. So many letters to send. People had knees to bend. He was running out of ink.  
Dorne was hers, even if its prince looked slightly disappointed to find the queen already married. _Pity, through him I might have had an unlimited supply of Dornish red._  
The Reach men were vying for her favor, saying how they were the first to support her return. Lord Hightower in particular was always around, offering smiles and hoping that she would get tired and just name him warden.  
The Stormlords were not a problem. They had their new Baratheon lord and most of them cared little for his bastard origin. Most in fact were all but throwing their daughters at the former blacksmith.  
The Ironborn were now completely loyal to the Ironborn queen, whose independence had been confirmed by Daenerys. While some were frowning at that, most were happy that their coasts would not be threatened by the Ironborn ever again. Chief amongst them the Rivermen, Reachmen and especially his Westermen. While most of his countrymen hated him to the bone for killing their lord Tywin and called him kinslayer even to his face, none of them wished war with the queen. They had bent the knee when they heard that Jaime was being released. Daenerys had implied that if he got his shit together, she would name him lord of Casterly Rock. Until such a time, Tyrion was acting Warden of the West. His brother was not in the best of spirits, but lately there has been some improvements in his otherwise gloomy behavior...

"Take another cup, brother. You can't be moping forever."

"Are you planning on getting me drunk?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes."

"She does not deserve it, you know. All that crying. She was a monster and you know it. I know you loved her but...."

"I know what she was.", he snapped at him. "She was a monster and a poison that has been killing me since the day I was born. And I still loved her."

"And what about your knight in shining armor? Brienne of Tarth?" He gave him a puzzled look. "Please, do you really think I didn't see you fawning over her?"

"I...it's complicated. I...left her to come back here. Back to Cersei. And...Brienne deserves better than me. I...do not deserve her."

"And yet, I believe she is stuck with you."

"She is stuck in Winterfell, guarding Sansa Stark."

"Ah yes. The Romance of the two Kingsguards. Perhaps, I will write a book about that." That got a chuckle out of him._ Good! There is still hope for you yet, silly brother._

"Speaking of...any news from there?", Jaime asked.

"Alas no. I have written to her many times and yet not a single letter in return. I can't shake the feeling that she is plotting something."

After having been abstaining from wine recently, his mind has been working nonstop. Two options:

One - she has not received the raven, due to the weather. Unlikely. For some strange reason, beyond his understanding, the weather has begun to turn. According to the maesters, the days have been growing longer. Spring was here, maybe thanks to the destruction of the Night King. That was a good thing, they could use some good new harvests, but it also meant the unlikelihood of the first option;

Two - she is plotting. Most likely. Since King's Landing, the girl has most likely wanted nothing more than to be in full control of herself. That seems to have taken the shape of not having anyone above her. With Jon, or Aegon rather, siding with Daenerys and her sister also here, she must be seeing that as the ultimate betrayal. So much so that she might even be plotting some foolish rebellion and crown herself queen. And Tyrion knew that many in the North, Riverlands and the Vale would support the Red Wolf. 

Tyrion really hoped that it won't come to that. Such a rebellion will only bleed the realm more. Dammit Sansa, don't do something you will regret. Does she want to see Winterfell burn that badly? Jon has made it abundantly clear that he will support his biological father's family if it came to conflict. And to be honest, while Daenerys's armies are not what they once were, because she sacrificed most of them to save _the North_, and the rest of Westeros, he saw how she took the city. She didn't need any armies for that. 

"My lord hand, ser Jaime.", a servant came in and greeted the Lannister brothers. "There is a letter for you, lord Tyrion."

He immediately took the scroll when he noticed the Stark sigil. _Finally_, he thought. As he unfurled it, he read it with care. It said that Sansa and several of the northern lords and the vale lords are coming to the capital to pay their respects to the king and queen. Apart from the slight title mistake, nothing seemed wrong with it. _Then why wait for so long to send a reply. It's been almost month, since I sent the first one. _On second reading of it he saw something suspicious, or rather the lack of some details. 'Pay their respects', not swear fealty. No bending the knee. Just coming to say 'hello'?! 

The letter said that they should be arriving within two to three months. Plenty of time to prepare for whatever she has planned. Tyrion did not miss the fact that Sansa was a cunning woman. Nowhere near as intelligent as she believes herself to be, given that she mixes her important decision making with her own emotions, but intelligent nonetheless. He knew that she had basically uses him to spread the news of Jon's parentage and he was quite impressed with the new lady Stark.

_What games are you playing, Sansa?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I recently forced myself to watch "The Bells" episode, and I don't know about you, but I think that apart from taking part in the sacking, the northern and dothraki/unsullied forces didn't do much apart from just walking around.  
As for what Sansa has been doing recently, I leave it to your speculation for now. Let's just say that Tyrion is right to be worried about her.  
And sorry for the timeline confusion, because I have zero idea just how much time passed in canon since Dany first came to winterfell to the battle of KL. If someone knows, please tell me. I want to keep a straight timeline.


	4. The Small Council Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend of Tyrion pays a visit, titles are given and curses are lifted...  
Special thanks to all who follow my fic, leave kudos and post comments. Your support really turns writing my mind's musings on how GoT should have been a real pleasure.

Tyrion was struggling to sleep. The bed in the bedchambers of the Tower of the Hand is as uncomfortable as he remembers it to be. _Why didn't anyone replace it with something a bit more comfortable?_ Father, uncle Kevan, that crazy lickspittle Qyburn... _Useless. I would curse them to all the seven hells, if I didn't think they are there already. _Well, maybe not Kevan. Uncle was a good man, if not too subservient to the mighty Tywin Lannister, the man Tyrion killed in the privy around the corner. Not that he regretted it. That night, he had come to confront his father. He didn't come to kill him. He just wanted to know why he would let him die. He wanted ...something. And then he saw Shae. The woman he loved, the woman he abandoned. She had hammered the last nail in his tiny would be coffin. And afterward she had fucked his father. She had even called him 'my lion', just as she had called him. She really was quite something to make the Great lion take a whore to bed, knowing his aversion to Tyrion's favorite profession. Not that he partook these days. He was busy and he couldn't bring whores to the keep. What would the queen say? 

Probably something like 'meh'. Tyrion has bedded most of the whores in the city, and probably all of Westeros, and knew for a fact that the queen was more beautiful than any of them. She might put them all to shame just with her looks. Tyrion wanted to solidify himself in her good graces, before returning to his favorite habits. He knew that probably no woman would take him to wife. His 'handsomeness' aside, while he was hand to the mightiest woman in the world, he had no lands of his own to inherit, so that he could entice some girl to him. And he was tired of having his heart broken. If somebody came along the way he might try, but he was not such an optimist. Besides, he had bigger problems now. Namely, his second wife. The lady Sansa Stark. Varys was gone and his spy network was now in shambles. A new master of whisperers was necessary. Especially now.

He had no news from the North or the Vale. None of his missives were answered. That is why he had looked for travelling Vale merchants, trying to learn if something had happened. He heard only one interesting piece of news - Valemen were being called to arms. Tyrion knew that lord Royce, the Vale's second most powerful lord, was a staunch supporter of Sansa Stark. With young Robin Arryn in his custody, he was the new lord protector of the Vale, after Baelish's death. Not that he missed the bloody trickster, who had plunged the realm into war, but that meant that with Jon out of the way, Sansa ruled two kingdoms. One whose armies were more or less intact. When lord Royce had went North to support the Starks, he had brought with him 2000 men. For the Long Night, he had managed to bring 4000 more knights of the Vale. Of those, 2/3 survived the battle. The rest of the Vale houses there had kept their men home, meaning that Sansa right now could well have more than 30000 fresh troops. The Riverlords might have some troops, but that wouldn't be much. Plus, lord Tully wouldn't risk losing his newly regained home and family for the niece who had abandoned him. And we have Drogon. A fire breathing dragon vs an army of some very flammable people. Wonder who has the advantage?!

Daenerys had taken the city almost singlehandedly, so he was certain that in a straight out battle they would win. While our troops now numbered about 3000 dothraki and 4000 unsullied, give or take, plus some 4000 Northerners of dubious loyalty. It would be bad if they got stabbed in the back, but soldiers preferred to follow bold military commanders to pretty girls, who hid during the battle for the dawn. Not to mention that they could have the support of the rest of Westeros. Nobody wanted another bloody civil war and apart from the North, Vale and Riverlands, nobody here was such a fan of the Starks. Sansa was not a military person. That's why she was coming here, to sow conflict between Jon and Daenerys. Not that this would work. Once upon a time perhaps, but now.... 

Daenerys was pregnant. He was certain. He had suspected for a while, but seeing her dress differently proved it. She preferred tighter dresses, which accentuated her curves. And yet these days, she wore less tight clothing. That reminded him of his sweet sister and her attempts to hide the belly formed by her children. Especially the first time with Joffrey. _Always the vain one._

He heard some noise. He swiftly rose from his bed and shouted:

"Show yourself!"

"Easy, easy, my lord hand.", he heard a familiar voice and a crossbow click. 

"Hello Bronn. How are you doing?", he asked. To his unrealistic shame, he had totally forgotten about his favorite sellsword. 

"Oh, since the last we saw each other? Well, let's see. I remember being promised a castle. Highgarden to be exact. A highborn beauty for a wife. And now that you are in power, I came here to collect. And imagine my surprise when I hear rumors that some fancy lord might be getting it. What was his name...Hilltower?"

"Hightower. And it is not certain. Merely being discussed.", the crossbow's bolt hit his pillow, just short of hitting his head. "Bronn, what do you want from me? I can't force the queen to give you a regional capital, just because you threatened my life. She would rather kill me herself."

If she heard of his promise in the inn, he would be dragon's food.

"Then why did you make me believe that you could?"

"Because you threatened my life, obviously."

He grumbled and sat, but kept pointing his crossbow at him.

"I went to visit the queen first, but the huge white direwolf sniffing around the window dissuaded me." _She has dragons, Jon has a direwolf... Why don't I get a lion to guard me and eat my enemies? Life is truly unfair to ugly people._

"Listen, how about you wait till tomorrow's small council meeting. After receiving the bribe, called a gift, that Hightower would doubtlessly give her in exchange for getting his bloody title, she would be in a very generous mood. There are many other castles in Westeros. So many women to pick from."

"Ugh, fine. But I want a castle and pretty bride and you best deliver.", he said and pulled up another chair. "Come, lets drink. It might be our last drink together."

"I missed you, old friend.", he said and poured him a glass of Arbor gold, thinking of the wine.

"Likewise."

* * *

The Small council meeting came sooner than he would have wished. Right now, the small council consisted of ser Davos, the new Grand maester and himself. The queen and her consort were in attendance, unnatural for all the kings he had served before, as well as lord Redwyne and lord Hightower, the two contenders. Redwyne's aunt was the Queen of Thorns herself, known to have been a supporter of Daenerys, whereas lord Baelor's sister was the wife of the late lord Mace and mother to his children. They were the chief candidates for the post of Warden of the South. Bronn was by his side.

"My lords.", Daenerys's voice boomed. "We are here to determine some important decisions. First, I would like to announce that I am pregnant with the future ruler of the country." Several congratulations swept over. The rumors of the queen being barren had made many people concerned about the future. Strange how people care about the future, only when it comes to heirs. 

"As you know", she continued. "the laws of the Iron throne make it so that women are to inherit only if the male line is exhausted. As a woman myself, I have decided that such laws are unfair to not only my family but to the realm. Why should a perfectly sound woman be overlooked just because she has a baby sibling, who happens to have a cock between his legs? That's hardly an essential quality that a ruler must have. Therefore, I have decided that the law of succession will be amended so that the eldest child, regardless of gender is to inherit."

They all murmured in agreement. Dornish law of succession was indeed a good option. After all, the one thing that is riskier than a female ruler is a child ruler and they all knew it.

"Your Grace, If I may.", lord Baelor addressed her. "Have you decided on who shall be the new lord paramount of the Reach?"

"Well, my lord, as you know that is a most serious matter that requires many issues to be addressed."

"Yes, well, House Hightower intends to make a substantial gift to House Targaryen, as way to apologize for not aiding you well enough in the restoration of your house.", Redwyne scoffed at the blatant bribe, but kept his mouth shut.

"How substantial?", asked Daenerys, pretending innocence. _As if she was not waiting for that. He knew that her Essosi treasures were running dry and she needed money to refill the empty treasury._

"6 million gold dragons as well as enough food supplies to feed the capital until the harvests." Tyrion as well as all the others in the room gawked at that. 6 million gold dragons was quite the generosity. He knew that the Hightowers were wealthy almost as the Lannisters used to be, plus they had their own bank, but that much.... Wow. Simply wow. Still, the title would be his in perpetuity so it was not a bad deal. This was oddly enough the same sum that the Iron throne used to owe to the Iron bank, before Cersei paid it off with Tyrell gold. Still, Daenerys was not bad with money so this was excellent.

"The crown most generously accepts this gift.", she said most magnanimously, while Redwyne scoffed but before he could say something..."The crown has decided that your second son, ser Peremore Hightower shall become the founder of House Hightower of Highgarden and shall be named Warden of the South." At that everyone blinked. Peremore was the second son of Baelor, who was obviously not expected to inherit anything. Such is the fate of second sons. A lad of twenty namedays, who is also betrothed to Desmera Redwyne, the youngest child of lord Paxter Redwyne. Seems like she has done her homework. This way she was essentially granting the castle to both of them, with the full price being paid by lord Hightower. Well his name shall be the one used, but still the future lords of Highgarden shall be both Redwyne and Hightower. They both seemed pleased and dully accepted her decision.

"Your grace.", addressed her Tyrion. "I would like to address another matter. This man is called Bronn and he has done some good services for my house."

"I know this man. He managed to shoot Drogon at the battle of the Goldroad.", at that Bronn visibly sweated. "How does that concern me?"

He told her everything. The whole story. And what he received was her laughter, followed by the chuckles of the others.

"So let me get this straight.", she said after calming herself down. "You get threatened with a crossbow and bribe the man with Highgarden? It seems that Lannisters do not pay their debts after all."

"I was saving my skin. What was I supposed to do?"

"Die like a man!", suggested Jon Snow. _Thank you, prince Aegon._

"A halfman rather.", japed the new Grand maester and the whole chamber burst with laughter. _Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want._

"I think that it's because of the baby, but I am feeling awfully merciful these days.". _Thank you, your future Grace._

"So...what do I get?", Bronn asked.

"Well, since I am feeling awfully generous today, I will give you Harrenhall."

"The cursed castle?"

"A castle with some very good lands, mostly untouched by war from what I hear. Good taxes and income...", added Tyrion.

"I will take it."

"As for a bride, lord Tyrion here will pick one of his numerous cousins and give one to you to marry.", said Daenerys.

"I will find one, your grace." He already knew who. Her name was Eliza Lannister, one of his distant cousins, who remains unwed at age 24, because of her promiscuity. Her father would agree to marry her to Bronn. He might be a former sellsword, but he was also now lord of Harrenhall. Besides, knowing their personalities, it might be a real love match.

"Now can somebody give me information about Sansa Stark?", Daenerys's voice boomed again. _So much for being in a good mood._

"I have heard that the Valemen are gathering their forces, my queen. Much of their armies are still untouched by warfare."

"You can count on the forces of the Reach, your grace.", immediately announced lord Paxter, not to be outdone by his daughter's father-in-law. 

"How many men can the Vale muster?", asked lord Baelor.

"Some 30 000 by my estimation, my lord." It was a rough estimation, but he was confident that they won't take everyone out of the Vale. 

"We can easily provide twice that.", he smugly announced. "As for taking the Eyrie itself, I believe that her grace's royal mount can easily take it."

"Your Grace, if I may ask, how far is your pregnancy?", Ebrose asked a strange question.

"Five months, why?"

"I would strongly suggest that you refrain from flight so far in your pregnancy. It could be dangerous for the child."

"Easy my lords.", Aegon spoke. "She has not declared war yet. She just means to scare us no doubt, still thinking that the queen's armies are weakened. Sansa won't be coming here, if she just wants a war. Most likely, she would try to conspire against us. To divide us."

"She is after all a student of my sweet sister and Littlefinger.", quipped Tyrion. "War would be the last case scenario. Let us wait for her to come here first. Then, we shall decide what to do."

* * *

After the small council meeting, she went for the Grand Maester to check on the children. The man had swiftly dismissed any witch curses. "If every curse happened, your Grace, I fear that the whole world would have ended a long time ago."

Not wrong.

"Nothing is wrong so far, your Grace. As for your worries, I find them to be perfectly unfounded. Take it from Westeros's foremost expert in medicine. Worrying is the only way you could harm your children."

"Thank you, Grand Maester...wait, children? Plural?"

"Yes, your Grace. I suspected the moment I looked at you. You are having twins. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"And if you want to be certain of their health...do not wear such tight dresses."

She would definitely listen to that advice. No more hiding. No more stupid curses. No more stupid enemies. She will give birth to two healthy babes and if anyone threatened them...Fire and Blood.

After that, she went to see Jon. To the public, he would be Aegon, but to her Jon. She preferred to call him that. Jon was a kind name, simple, no pretenses for power and influence. He never liked power, she could tell. After spending so much time around power hungry people, she had forgotten that some people just wanted to live in peace. Jon was one of them. While she left some work for him to do, too, chiefly to sign some documents jointly and to oversee the repairs of the city's defenses, he had tons of free time. That made her slightly jealous. Also for the fact that Jon was to sit beside her on a comfortable chair, while her poor ass was tormented by the Iron throne. Turns out, that her ancestral throne was not comfortable when one had to sit on it for hours. 

She headed for their bedchambers and swiftly entered. 

"Jon. I went to the Grand Maester to ask after the child."

"And?", he asked worried. "Is something wrong?"

"We are not having a child.", she said and paused dramatically until his face started crumbling. "Jon, we are having twins."

He rushed to hug her, as tightly as one could hug a pregnant woman. His lips smashed against hers.

"You wicked fiend. That was mean."

"You do not want twins?", she teased.

"Oh, shut up for once Dany.", he kissed her again, without waiting for a reply. 

Before that could escalate further, a voice was heard.

"Forgive me, but did you even notice me?", asked Arya Stark. Honestly, she didn't.

"Forgive me, lady Arya."

"I am no lady.", she snapped. "And how is it that I find out that I will be an aunt just now? After 5 bloody months? Jon is right, you know, you are evil.", she said it, but it was obviously was a jest. Arya Stark was a ruthless and murderous young warrior woman, but she cared for family. "Hello, little unformed things.", she addressed her belly in a way that made even Jon giggle like a girl. "Your mom is a naughty thing, but not evil as aunty Sansa says, aunty Arya has been watching her for a while now."

"What?", Dany questioned.

"I was at that orphanage.", she addressed her seriously. "You might not have noticed me. I was wearing another face. The perks of having Faceless men training and some spare faces." Every word of that sentence terrified her. "The way you protected those children... Don't get me wrong, I disapprove of children being used, even only as spies, but I get why you are doing it. You are obviously not just a ruthless, but also a good person. A good person who tries to hide her goodness behind ruthlessness to protect her own. And since you are Jon's wife, you are also my sister. One that's carrying my nieces and/or nephews, so you certainly are ahead of Sansa."

"Good to know. We might be in a conflict with her soon enough.", said Jon.

"I heard. Secrets and this castle don't mix. I will not fight against Sansa, but I will protect you lot."

Dany smiled at the young warrior. There was something inspiring about this terrifying young assassin girl. Something she admired - she could protect herself and was ruthless when it came to defending her own. Just like Daenerys.

A knock at the door interrupted them and a young maid came to tell them that a representative of the Iron bank wanted an audience. She sat behind the bureau, with Jon and Arya at her sides, and allowed him entry.

* * *

"Good afternoon, your Grace. My name is Tycho Nestoris. I am a humble representative of the Iron bank of Braavos.", said the man after taking a seat opposite to Dany's.

"What leads you here, my lord? I have no business with the Iron bank."

"Yes, your grace, but as you may know, the Iron throne has generated quite a debt to us."

"A debt that was incurred by the usurper Cersei Lannister, a person whose reign I do not recognize. A person, whose corpse hangs above the Dragon gate." Arya couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Indeed. However, to us that debt has been inherited by you. Are you aware of the practice the Iron bank applies to people who do not pay their debts back to us?", he asked slyly. 

"And are you aware of what happens when you wake the dragon?", asked Jon, no Aegon Targaryen. Her husband was a dragon in wolf's clothing. A dragon that would snap at anything that threatened his loved ones. His wife, especially.

"A debt needs repayment. And given the economic crisis that we could easily cause in Westeros...", he replied.

"Which you will never receive with such threats. Gold might win wars, but remember: gold melts against the fiery breath of a dragon."

"There are other ways to get what we want, you know."

"The faceless, you mean.", Arya said. " Valar Morghulis. You can't use them. Not for this. Her name is in the White Book."

The man looked positively terrified. The faceless men had a fearsome reputation and, apparently, even more so in Essos.

"What is the White book?"

"A sacred text of the Faceless. More like a wall, really. There are inscribed the names of people, forbidden to assassinate by the Faceless. They would never take a hit against these people. For any price. They would even try to stay as far away from them as possible. Not to mention that they would claim the lives of those that ask them for those very lives."

"Valar Dohaeris.", Nestoris finally managed to mutter. "Please, my lady, I meant no offence. I assure you. But you must understand, the bank's policy..."

"The bank will have its due in another way."

"How?"

"I will be making annual donations, until that debt is repaid. Nothing too devastating for the royal treasury. It might take 20 years or so until the old debts are repaid in full, but that is the only way you would get your money back."

"...Very well. We have an agreement then.", he answered. "As a gesture of good will, I would tell you that a colleague of mine, Noho Dimittis recently paid a visit to your husband's sister. Or is it cousin. Westerosi politics always confuse me."

"What for?", Jon asked. 

"She wanted to ask for a loan, to buy mercenaries if possible and to restock her grain supplies. She was denied."

"Why?", Arya asked.

"Because she has no means to return the money back. She was obviously preparing for a war against you. She is quite frightened of you, you know. Even more so than the late Cersei Lannister used to be. We know that she stands no chance of winning or even surviving a war against you. And, apart from Cersei Lannister, we have always sided with the winning side."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it fitting that Bronn gets Harrenhall, which has always been the reward for some 'good' service.  
As for the military numbers, well, I pulled them out of the wiki book and TV sites.  
And that White book thing. I made it up. Hehe...  
Overall, I think that I addressed a hell of a lot of things in this chapter.


	5. The Calm Before The Firestorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know that I promised that there will be time till the next chapter, but this one is already written, so here it is. Next one will come next Thursday or Friday.  
Enjoy and speculate.

Dany's head was a mess. To say the least. After going over all the possible scenarios, she never anticipated that Sansa Stark would actually start a war with her. The woman, whose sole weapon was her pretty words, famous name and schemes did not seem like an actual threat to the mighty dragon queen. And why should she? Dany still remembers fighting against the army of the dead. She and Jon had battled in the sky against the Night King and her undead child, her poor Viserion. She remembers the savagery of it and how she was forced to land on the ground, in the midst of the wight hordes and try to fend them off with just a rusted sword, she had picked from a dead man. Jorah was the only reason she had survived that, at the cost of his own life. All the while proud Sansa Stark hid in the crypts like a coward. Granted, the crypts had turned into a death trap when the Night king raised Sansa's dead relatives. But she hadn't willingly walked into it. She had gone there to hide while others died for her. Like a coward. And even after Dany had saved her sorry ass, she still openly loathed her and conspired behind her back. And then she had betrayed Jon's trust by spreading his secret. She hated people like that. Schemers might take pride in their complex schemes but they were all cowards, too afraid to stare death in the face. _If Sansa dares threaten my unborn children and Jon, she will..._

"We will defeat her, if we have to. You are 7 months pregnant, Dany. You shouldn't worry so much.", said Jon as if reading her thoughts. All the while massaging her ever growing stomach.

"I know. It's just...whenever I think of her, I feel like I am going to lose control over my inner monster."

"What monster? You are the greatest...most beautiful...and kindest woman in the world.", he said while trailing kisses over her belly.

"I almost burned it all down, you know. King's Landing. I looked down upon the city. The city which was the cause of all my losses. The city because of which Missandei, Jorah, the Sand Snakes, the Tyrells and Rhaegal and Viserion died. This city, I wanted to burn it all to cinder.", she admitted coldly.

"What stopped you?", he asked, without any visible reproach for what she had just said. _I don't deserve this man._

"I am NOT a monster. I will not let anyone turn me into one. I will unleash my inner beast only at my enemies. Only at those who deserve it. No one else."

"I enjoyed it you know.", he started. "Watching you kill Cersei. You were truly glorious. I fell in love with you even more than before. I had loved your good side. But I really adored your vengeance too. You are strong. Stronger than anyone. Strong enough to vanquish anything. If anyone ever doubts your contribution to save us from the Long Night, then they are bloody fools. And if anyone, including Sansa threatens you or our babes, they will answer to me. Our house's words are fire and blood. If we have to, we will show them why."

"I love it when you talk of 'our house'."

"Well it is. It took me a while to truly grasp that notion. I considered myself a Stark in all but name, but that was not so. Back in the day, before it all became so damn complicated, I did not have a real family. Sure, I loved my uncle. He was my example of what a man should be. That is why I took the fact that he lied to me my whole life so hard. He had not protected me, he had protected my father's killer, who he knew was in the wrong. He was even willing to send me to the bloody Night's watch so that I would be no threat to the man, so that I would abandon any claim I have to my family, without even knowing it. That...broke my world for a while. Lady Catelyn offered me nothing but spite, for being her husband's bastard, a crime of which I was in fact innocent. Sansa was a stuck up cunt back then, all enamored with her prince Joffrey, and we all know how that turned out. After we got reunited, I thought that she had changed for the better, but it seems that in the end all she wanted was a crown for her head again. Robb, I was close to, but not particularly so. He preferred to spend time with Theon. Bran and Rickon were just two kids to me. And Arya...well...she was the only one there that I considered a true sibling. A sort of an exile, just like me. Different. And then, I learn that I am no bastard, but I have a family. Except, they had a...complicated history."

"Being dead, except for one, and having a tendency for madness?"

"Aye. What I am trying to say is that I love you and you are my family. I care for Arya but if Sansa dares to threaten you, I will send her straight to hell.", he said firmly.

"What do you prefer - Jon or Aegon?", she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, I have grown used to Jon, but I like Targaryen. So how about, when it is just us, when we can be completely honest about ourselves, I can be Jon Targaryen?"

"I love you, Jon Targaryen."

"And I love you, Daenerys Targaryen."

And as they kissed, her troubles seemed to vanish. _Whatever trouble we face in the future, we will face together!_

* * *

Emmet had rushed from King's Landing as soon as possible. The network had finally been restored and now they had urgent jobs to do. Merrick had said that the queen wanted special attention to be kept on Sansa Stark. Apparently, the lady was amassing an army against the queen and was planning to invade the city. Well, those were just rumors, even to his friends. Merrick had been chosen by the queen to organize the little birds, like Varys called them, for queen Daenerys's services and they had work to do. Frankly, Emmet could not have pointed somebody better for it. Merrick knew almost everybody in the network and, even though he was 15 years younger than Emmet, he was someone who he could take instructions from. The queen had helped those in the orphanage immensely. She had even sent people to teach them how to read and write and do sums. She even offered to have the boys trained in arms and the girls in other trades. Neither Varys nor Qyburn had ever allowed them such things. 

After Merrick showed his badge, the one the queen gave him, to the men guarding the royal stables, Emmet was given the fastest horse there and he rushed for Harrenhal.

The creepy castle was getting in sight, but on the way he was almost knocked off his horse by a lone rider. Emmet couldn't take a good look at him, but he could swear the man was a knight. Or at least looked like one. Anyways, he rushed for the nearby village, where the armies were. There he was to meet with Alice, a girl of 9, who was their person in the village.

It was actually more of a small town, than a village, called Harrentown. It had been raided by the Starks during the war and was now nearly abandoned. After the Young wolf was killed, it had started to regain its population. The place was now full of knights and soldiers. A vast military camp was in sight. Thousands of tents. _Is queen Daenerys the only one who wants peace?_

He found Alice in a small cottage, where she lived with her mother. Her father had died long ago and now she was supporting her family with the coins she took for information. The advantages of being one of the little birds was that there was always somebody doing something wrong and there was always somebody who was willing to pay for the knowledge of it. He was bringing with him a gold dragon for her information, if it was sufficient that is. Elsewise a silver stag.

"Now that Merrick is master of whisperers, is he a eunuch?", she asked innocently. He was quite amused by that, but answered negatively. "Where is lady Stark?"

"She left yesterday for the capital.", she had answered. "With an escort of about 300 men. Give or take, I am not so good with counting."

"Anything else of interest?"

"Well, I saw the wolf lady order some of her men to search the apothecary. They practically wrecked the place."

"What for?"

"I heard them shout for something called Tears of Lys. The men finally found it today and one of them rushed after the wolf lady. "

Emmet was not entirely certain what Tears of Lys was, but he had his suspicions. Emmet gave her the gold dragon and she beamed. "That was a very valuable information."  
He took a loaf of bread to feed himself and fed his horse with some apples and carrots. He had to return to the capital as soon as possible.

He rode as fast as the horse was able, hoping to arrive in time.

* * *

Bronn was finally a lord. He had finally gotten his bride and his castle. Granted the castle had a bit of a reputation, and was apparently currently occupied by the little Stark bitch but no matter. Soon enough her dead body will be hanging beside Cersei fucking Lannister's mangled, eaten by crows, sagged, rotting corpse. It finally happened. The Lannisters paid their debts. Hurrah.  
Bronn and his new bride were dining together with the Imp and his handsomer brother. He had grown quite fond of her. The imp had picked well. Beautiful, hot as hell and was even more fond of whores than he was. His only concern now was dying from exhaustion in the bed. Still, the atmosphere was too quiet for his taste. He had to brighten things up. 

"So, how come you are both alive? I mean, I thought that the dragon queen would have killed one of you by now."

"Well, I suppose she has grown fond of us. The Kingslayer brothers.", quipped the little fucker.

"You haven't killed any king.", said Jaime.

"Nope, but I was accused of the death of one. And even sentenced to death for it."

"You are a survivor, cousin.", said Eliza. "But somehow I think that you are simply lucky."

"That, my dear, is the absolute truth."

"Dad is almost teary these days. I am finally a lady."

"Yes, I saw him weep.", commented Bronn. The old coot was an odd sight.

"Speaking of weeping.", he continued. "Are you looking forward to seeing your favorite knight lady again?"

"Who?", asked Eliza.

"Brienne of fucking Tarth. The toughest and ugliest woman in the world.", he answered.

"She is not ugly.", Jaime retorted.

"She is as ugly as sin, you gold plated cunt. But do as you like. Still, she might die soon enough. I can't imagine the Stark girl surviving this."

"Sansa Stark has survived a lot of things, old friend.", Tyrion retorted.

"True, but so far none of these things had a dragon." Another castle was about to lose its ruler soon. 

* * *

Baelor's appointment as master of coin was a surprise. Well, given that the current treasury was made up of coin he used to possess, maybe not so much. His influence was steadily rising. Perhaps, he could arrange a betrothal to one of the queen's future twins somewhere down the road. Lord Redwyne has long since left for Highgarden to make the castle habitable again. It had been left abandoned after Tarly and the Kingslayer had sacked it. They had to make it habitable for their children. Thinking of that reminded him about the ambiguous status of House Tarly. Currently, its rulership was technically Randyll Tarly's daughter Talla and her mother. Randyll however had another son, who Baelor knew to be craven. Apparently, the boy had studied to become a maester for the Night's watch and one night he had fled Oldtown, stealing several priceless books. Thieves of knowledge have always been among the lowest form of thieves he knew of. Tarly would face the queen's justice as soon as the boy comes south, alongside the rebel Sansa Stark. He had heard that the Stark's army consisted of mostly Valemen, some 30 000 strong. Not that it mattered. Baelor hadn't bluffed when he had stated that he had twice that number. In fact, he had already mobilized 60 000 men for the queen's needs, who were already camping outside the city walls. If Sansa Stark sought to scare them, she would definitely not succeed. And of course, he wasn't even counting the great black dragon. Balerion the Black Dread reborn. If it came to battle, their victory was assured. 

Today, Sansa Stark was arriving. They had received a rider, who informed them of her desire to enter the city and her party were allowed entry. It consisted of several lords and about 300 knights. 

The throne room had significantly changed since queen Daenerys had taken over. Targaryen decorations aside, now they had a true monarch. Baelor has seen all the recent ones.

As a boy, he had once seen the crazy king that was the queen's father, but thankfully Daenerys was nothing like him. Even though, most likely due to the late stages of pregnancy, everyone was currently walking on eggshells around her. And with a good reason. Pregnant women were irritable enough as it is, this one has a dragon.

He had also seen the Usurper Robert Baratheon. Twice, actually. The first time, the man looked like a warrior. Strong and mighty, with the beautiful Cersei Lannister at his side. The next one was polar opposite, the queen looked like a giant piece of ice and the king like a pig. An utter sot.

Renly was simply ridiculous. With his fake claim and his joke of a kingsguard, or Rainbowguard rather. _And no one suspected he was interested in men?!_

Stannis was a man-child, crying that the world wasn't fair, for not bowing to him. The man was the opposite of his younger brother, charmless, but cunning. Still, that alone can't win a throne. He was not a man that people would willingly choose to follow.

Joffrey reminded him of Aerys II. Tommen belonged to a nursery, not a throne room. But Daenerys...

The woman was born for a throne. Looking regally, even with her belly full of children, she was every inch a queen. She seemed annoyed though. Baelor had heard of the not so warm reception the queen had received at Winterfell, when she had travelled there to fight against the mythical army of the dead. 

He was torn from his thoughts as Sansa Stark and her retinue entered. He couldn't recognize most of the people there, but he could guess some identities. Holding to Sansa Stark's hand was, judging from the looks and his clothing, Robin Arryn, the Defender of the Vale and lord of the Eyrie. Bran Stark must be the young man, who was sitting in a wheelchair, which was being pushed by a young woman with curly dark hair. There was a proud looking older man, who wore a bronze armor, which singled him out as lord Yohn Royce of Runestone. The big woman, wearing a suit of armor, must be the famous first ever female knight - Brienne of Tarth. The fat boy, judging from uncle's reaction, is most definitely Samwell Tarly. There were other people among them, who looked like nobility, but most were simple guards.

The queen was sitting on the Iron throne, with her consort sitting on a smaller throne beside her. Lord Tyrion was standing in front of her and Baelor and his uncle Ebrose stood to the side. A bit further from the throne stood Arya Stark, who right now must have some very mixed feelings, and lord Jaime Lannister, recently sworn in as Warden of the West. A straight path was formed by the queen's Unsullied guards, who recently took over the duties of the Gold cloaks. The road to the throne was surrounded by all the various courtiers, none of whom made the effort of not looking at Sansa Stark with cold piercing stares. And that was not just to gain the queen's favor, they genuinely disliked the woman who wanted war. They were all tired of the stresses of war, everybody wanted peace. Well, almost everybody. Sansa Stark wanted something entirely different. Whatever it was, it was not peace with Daenerys Targaryen. 

Lord Tyrion began: "You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of Kings, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdom and Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons. 

And of Aegon of House Targaryen, Prince Consort of the Seven Kingdoms, The Northern Dragon, the White Wolf, Protector of the Free Folk and Warden of the North."

At the last title, lady Sansa and many in her retinue frowned. Lord Yohn Royce stepped forward: "And I give you Sansa of House Stark, The Red Wolf, Queen in the North and of Mountain and Vale, lady of Winterfell and lady of the Eyrie. And her husband, Robin of House Arryn, King of Mountain and Vale, King Consort of the North, lord of Winterfell and lord of the Eyrie."

Many gasped and frowned at those titles. Titles that clearly stood in defiance of the queen's supreme authority.

"Your Graces!", Sansa Stark addressed them coldly. "I hereby announce the secession of the North and the Vale of Arryn from the authority of the Iron Throne. From now on until the end of days, we are the free and independent Kingdom of the North and the Vale."

And as the murmurs between the courtiers began to multiply, Baelor allowed himself to stop looking at the proud and haughty lady Stark to look at the face of the queen. It seeped with fury undisguised and the whole room held its breath, waiting for her inevitable anger to be unleashed upon the Red Wolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers. I know everybody loves them, so here is one.
> 
> PS: I made some minor changes to the last scene. Added some titles for Jon and pointed out some faces in the crowd, all of which will have a part to play in the following chapters. Now that our crew is all finally in one place, how do you think it is going to go? Who is the woman, pulling Bran's chair? (Not that the answer is not obvious). What the hell is going on? What happened to our Northern friends since Dany and Jon left for KL. Any guesses? I will explain everything next chapter, so you have until then to guess. See you soon, my dear readers :)


	6. The Queen In The North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I am back. First, for those who haven't heard, Fire and Blood, written by GRRM, will be turned into a tv series by HBO. It's called House of the Dragon. First season has been ordered already by HBO. Anyone else excited to see some more Targaryens? I know it isn't gonna have our favorite ones, but we gotta do with what we got...
> 
> And second and most importantly, Sansa has finally arrived in King's Landing. What is going to happen now with the whole gang back together again? is it gonna be as chilly as it was in Winterfell or is it going to get a bit warm?!

Bran Stark has had a long journey. From Winterfell to King's Landing. And he came the long way around. The three-eyed-raven had guided him beyond the Wall, to his lair. His cave. And why? Bran used to think it was to teach him more about his visions and dreams and why he could enter the body of Summer. But it was more. The Three-eyed-raven wanted a successor. Somebody to learn what he knows and see what he sees. Someone who would destroy the Night's King once and for all. If only Bran knew that there would be more.

When the three-eyed-raven's body was sliced in half by the king of the White Walkers, Bran thought that he would simply inherit his title and position. His importance in the Great war. He had certainly learned all about his power, even though he hadn't been able to use it as well as he had. But he did not receive just his name, he got his mind. HIs essence which strived to destroy his own and use his body. Not immediately though, but slowly. He subtly influenced his thoughts and those of others for his own ends.

To rule. To destroy the Night king and take over Westeros. 

He had seen a vision of the future. Not just a vision. but a certain future. The future. Daenerys Targaryen burns King's Landing to the ground in her grief and sadness.  
A future in which Jon Snow kills the woman he loves.  
A future in which the song of ice and fire is erased from existence and in its place, the three-eyed-raven finds his way on the Iron Throne and rules over Westeros for all eternity through an endless sequence of hosts.

And yet...he failed. All thanks to the Dragon queen. The ancient entity couldn't outright control Daenerys or the dragons. She was of the blood of Old Valyria, over which he held no power. But he could influence her, weaken her will and eventually drive her towards doing what he willed. Bran's spirit was trapped in a losing battle against the Last Greenseer and could only watch as he subtly influenced others to hate her and distrust her, especially the Northmen, who have always been suspicious of outsiders. Sansa, his sister, was his greatest tool and the worst part was that he barely did anything to her. Sansa's tragic time in the South and under the influence of others made her perfect for him to use. To spite Daenerys Targaryen, a person who was by all accounts a rescuer, and turn her into a monster.

Yet, somehow, just at the moment when she would have sealed her fate and his, something happened. Or rather, didn't happen. She didn't burn King's Landing. She did not butcher countless innocent people. She peacefully ascended to the throne she sought and she was going to make Westeros a better place. Jon did not thus assassinate her and instead completely embraced his Targaryen heritage and love for her. Their children would not die in their mother's womb, by their father's hand, but instead would grow to become great monarchs and rulers. 

A new timeline was set in place. The massive shift of reality, seemingly caused by some mighty god, greatly weakened the Three-eyed-raven, so much so that Bran could win his unwinnable battle and expel the entity from his body and mind.

The Three-eyed-raven is dead and Bran Stark lives again. 

"Your Graces!", Sansa Stark addressed Daenerys and Jon coldly. His sister proudly displayed the silver circlet with wolf heads that was her crown. "I hereby announce the secession of the North and the Vale of Arryn from the authority of the Iron Throne. From now on until the end of days, we are the free and independent Kingdom of the North and the Vale."

Alas, their troubles were far from over. Sansa will never accept Daenerys's and Jon's peace. She will never accept someone standing above her again and she is willing to cause a bloody civil war for it. Not that it would last so long. He has seen into the future, and while there were many possibilities laying ahead, Bran knew that none of them would give Sansa victory. And yet that did not deter her when he told her so. Instead, she sought alliances. She needed little to convince lord Yohn Royce, the lord protector of the Vale, to arrange for the hasty marriage between his ward, lord Robin Arryn of the Vale, and Sansa. A marriage that would give her access to the full military might of the Vale - 30 000 men. Not that the numbers had changed the future, only the number of casualties but she cared not. She didn't care how many people would die for 'independence'. She only cared about power, about being a queen, for she believed that this way she would be forever free. With a weak husband to manipulate and two kingdoms to seek her favor.

Safety = power. That is all she believes now and as reckless as it is she came to the dragon's den to secure it the only way she knew how. Through scheming. Bran could not recognize his sister anymore. 

As he looked up at the Dragon queen, he saw her fuming. Jon looked at Sansa with disdain and Arya, their murderous little sister, looked worried. _She should be. _The rest of the courtiers, or sycophants rather, started murmuring among themselves and many called Sansa traitor, usurper and other less kind names. The dragon queen silenced them all, when she rose from her seat, her belly, which carried two children, did not seem to bother her.

"Lady Sansa.", she addressed her coldly. "May I ask what kind of nonsense this is? They call me mad, but you...my, my, what would they call you? Have you come here just to insult me?"

"No, your Grace. I have come to inform you that dragonspawn shall no longer be tyrants over the North and the Vale."

At the slur, Jon rose from his seat. "Watch how you address my wife, cousin!"

"Why should I? We all know what she is. An abomination born of incest, just like what she is caring in her womb. The North and Vale refuse to be under the thumb of such things ever again.", Sansa said while shaking with anger.

Sansa called herself wise. She liked when other complimented her 'wisdom' and he knew that his sister was no fool. Then why did she say something like this out loud? He watched the anger flash on the face of the Mother of Dragons, with such intensity that it scared even him, a man who was used to knowing all things. The two giant braziers, which served to warm the spot where the Iron throne was rested, burst their flames upwards to match her anger. The crowd gasped in fear, including their party. All but Sansa, though Bran saw she shook not with anger now, but fear.

Meera was about to pull him back, but he stopped her, by softly touching her hand. Meera Reed, his friend. His...more than friend.

The three-eyed-bastard had made sure to break her heart and push her away the moment she took us to the safety of Winterfell. He wanted to completely isolate Bran. It was only after Sansa declared herself queen and summoned the lords of the North and the Vale to bend the knee at Winterfell, that he saw her again. _One good thing to come of that. _She avoided him for the better part of a week. Turns out that being bound to a wheelchair, made chasing after girls to be a rather arduous task. In the Godswood, he literally had to crawl on his arms, to reach where she was. To finally offer his condolences for Jojen, to thank her for their help, to apologize for what had happened, to explain what had happened and why and to beg her forgiveness. He must have looked pitiful, because it did not take her long to do so. Only a fortnight passed after that and she had forgiven him.

Things were now...different between them, he could tell. She spent more time with him and...he hoped for more, too. Having the power of the three-eyed-raven, now without the presence of evil with it, felt good. Made him special, just like he wanted to be back in his childhood, when it was all so simple. But he didn't want to spend his life as an outcast.

After what seemed like an eternity of expectation, the flames fell to their previous level and Daenerys extended her small left hand and made a fist. "Do you know what I hold here, you little bitch?" She did not wait for a reply. "Absolute power. The power to achieve anything I desire. I do not expect you to understand what this means."

Sansa snorted. "The Mad king's daughter, indeed. Do you think yourself a goddess? A dragon in human form?", she asked as if the answer was not obvious by now.

Daenerys extended her fingers and walked to the nearest brazier and put her hand inside, to the shock of all. After a few moments of tense gasping from the audience, she withdrew it and revealed to them her unburnt hand. 

"I am the dragon. And the one true queen, unlike you.", she said evenly, but her voice seethed with ill-concealed hatred.

"I am the Queen in the North and of Mountain and Vale.", Sansa all but shouted.

"A TRUE queen is not made, by having placed a pathetic excuse for a crown atop her head, by some old man. She isn't made by happening upon the right parents, with the right family name. A TRUE queen is born, forged in the Heavens, meant to carve her name in the annals of history and destined for greatness.", she said with a passion. It was partially true though. Daenerys Targaryen was destined for greatness and it seems that no one so far has ever managed to stop her.

"Your Graces.", Tyrion Lannister addressed them, obviously trying to defuse the situation. "I am sure that the prince consort's cousin and her retinue are tired from their arduous journey. Perhaps, they should rest before continuing such important discussions."

Daenerys looked at him coldly. Small embers of the Three-eyed-raven's work yet remained inside her mind, but were swiftly dying down. Just small reminders. Naught else. The three-eyed-raven was a creature of darkness, in the end, and darkness always retreated when faced with light.

"Lord Tyrion. Do you remember what last happened at the place where your ex-wife is currently standing?", a confusing question for people who were not present when she took over the city. Or those without the benefits of greensight. Tyrion's fidgeting clearly showed that he was not either of those things.

"Yes, your Grace."

"Good. Feel free to inform lady Sansa of this in your free time. Court dismissed."

At that Meera pushed him out of the throne room and the servants led them to their guest chambers.

* * *

Being Tyrion Lannister was no easy task. He had to endure the insults of others, to survive his evil father and wicked sister, to escape from the promised 'justice' for crimes he never committed and now to deal with Sansa Stark. Today he started wondering how did the woman ever survive this city the last time she was here. It must have given her a false sense of security. _She doesn't need you alive, Sansa. And now, thanks to your stupid little tongue, she wants you dead._ And I will have to deliver, if she demands it. He did not miss the subtle threat. Sansa had conspicuously stood at the exact spot, in which Cersei's head was bashed in by Daenerys. _Too Mountainous for my taste, but well deserved, he knew._ And honestly, he would kill her. If it were to save his life and his brother's life, he will swing the executioner's blade himself. Even though he would most likely be rather sloppy, given his short hands. And it might be unnecessary, given the queen's preferred method of execution.

After court was dismissed, the queen called him in, and in a rare show of patience, explained to him that she will either bend or break 'the Bitch of Winterfell' and sent him off.

He walked to Sansa's given rooms and knocked on the door. The servants inside let him in. The room was spacious enough and he knew it was usually reserved for foreign dignitaries. Tyrion had made certain that this particular room was reserved for her, given that Daenerys would have likely let Sansa sleep in a sty, if she had her way. Young Robyn Arryn was already asleep. _Well, it is past his bedtime._ Sansa was sitting in a chair, overlooking the city.

"Come, sit beside me.", she said. He pulled up a chair. "You know, I never once dreamed of finding my way back into this city. It still smells of a dreadful combination of cow dung and unwashed whores. Still ruled by vicious monsters and tyrants."

"Then why come? Certainly, you did not need to walk into the dragon's jaws to insult the queen. Ravens carry words just as easily."

"I came to secure my kingdoms' independence.", she said in an emotionless tone.

"Really? I would think that you came here to die, my lady."

"It is 'your Grace' now."

"It would be 'my condolences' to your siblings, with that attitude."

"Why act civil? She would never just give us our well-deserved independence. We fought for it and bled for it. We have earned it. More to the point, the whole realm should be on its knees, thanking us for saving their lives during the Long Night."

"You were not just uncivil. You called her and her unborn children abominations.", he said in a tone, he hoped, revealed that his patience with her ridiculous antics has grown thin. "And I seem to remember somebody who contributed ten times the men, during the battle. Someone who actually fought, instead of hiding. Someone who sacrificed far more than you did."

"I lost, too.", she snapped at him. "I lost Theon, I lost Rickon, I lost father, mother and Robb. My innocence.", she replied. "And now she has stolen Jon. Even Arya is lost to me now. Soon enough, she would put one of her spawn in Winterfell and send me off to join the Silent Sisters, if not outright kill me, because she hates me. She would steal what is mine. And I will not allow it."

"She was not the one who initiated hostilities. It was you and your ungrateful bloody countrymen, who seem to lack the phrase 'thank you' in the vocabulary."

"She will never be accepted by us."

"By you, or YOU?", he asked. "Jealousy seems a new feeling for you, my lady. One you do not handle very well."

"It doesn't matter. I will never bend the knee to that woman. Or anyone else for that matter.", she said sternly.

He rose from his seat. _This conversation is useless._ He would need someone else to convince her. Or to do something else to handle the unyielding lady of winter. But he will. Sansa might be getting good at the game, but Tyrion had more experience. And he will handle this. One way or another.

"Bend the knee or she will destroy you. You have seen the men, camped outside the city walls. Twice the numbers you have at Harrenhal, I believe. She has a dragon, too.", Sansa didn't move, but her face clearly twitched. "Heed my advice, lady Sansa."

Tyrion left the room and he failed to notice the vial of Tears of Lys, which Sansa had hidden inside her sleeves.

* * *

Jon was having a private chat with lord Jaime. It was the first time he was properly conversing with the Kingslayer. Truth be told, he never thought the man would survive his wife's wrath, but Dany obviously did not blame him for her father's murder. _Her father was a monster. She knows that he deserved what he got. She knows that Jaime did what he did to save the city. _The courtyards of the Red Keep were truly a nice place to walk through. With winter apparently over, maybe due to the Night king's demise, spring was already here. The new Grand Maester said that the Citadel was certain of it and Jon was glad. The wars had prevented the collection of the last harvests and many regions such as the North and the Riverlands would starve during a long winter.. He was happy that would not be the case.

"How are you feeling, my lord?"

"Better, prince Aegon. Or prince Jon. What is it actually?"

"Both would do.", he admitted. Honestly, he cared little for which people used. He liked it when Dany called him Jon, but Aegon had more authority to it, which was needed with the lords. 

"How does it feel? You must be the first bastard in Westeros's history to turn into its ruler."

"Consort. Prince consort.", he corrected him. "I don't know why everybody thinks this way. Not everyone wants to sit on that bloody chair."

"Your beloved does. So did mine.", he said. "I will never erase the image of her bashing Cersei's head in like that. Reminds me of how the Mountain killed prince Oberyn Martell."

"Do you judge her for it?", he asked a bit threateningly. Jon was fully prepared to kill the one handed knight there and then if he was a threat to Dany's life.

"No. I know she was a monster, a poisoned river that sailed me straight to the Seven Hells. Just like Olenna Tyrell said, she would have been the death of me. Not that I cared. I always thought that we would die together. And yet, we didn't."

"Aye. You live. What will you do now?" It seems that Tyrion and Dany were right about the man after all.

"Well, thanks to the queen, I am now lord of Casterly Rock. That comes with certain responsibilities. I believe that my father, who is no doubt rotting in the deepest hell alongside my sister, would be grateful for having his last wish fulfilled."

"Isn't there a woman to take your mind off your sister? You can't have loved only her for all these years." 

"I haven't actually. There is one, but...she will never forgive me."

"Who? Ser Brienne?"

Jon knew of the great warrior woman, who defended Jaime from Dany's wrath at Winterfell. The same woman, who would die for Sansa. For his treacherous cousin, who had broken an oath to him. Because of whom, the accursed lord Varys betrayed Dany and tried to poison her and their child. He used to care for her safety, but these days he held nothing but contempt for the woman, who almost destroyed his one shot at happiness. The person who insulted him, his wife and their unborn children. He really had to hold himself back from killing her in the Throne room. 

"Tyrion talks too much.", he grumbled.

"Aye. He does. It is what he is good at. Talking and scheming. But a good ruler needs one of these people around."

"My, my, you have become very wise, Jon Targaryen."

"I am a slow learner, but I learn."

"So am I. Do you...do you think that Brienne could forgive me?"

"What have you done to Brienne of Tarth?"

"I slept with her. Then I left her to go to King's Landing to rescue Cersei."

"Maybe, she will. Though she most likely will kick your ass first.", they both chuckled at that. "True love helps mend broken hearts, ser. I also thought that the queen would never forgive me for acting like an idiot. For letting her grieve alone, for pushing her away, because I couldn't man up and accept what I have always hoped to be. Not alone. To belong somewhere, with someone. And yet she did. She forgave me. I will always be grateful for having a second chance with her."

"Maybe I will get my second chance as well.", said the Lannister knight and Jon hoped that would be. Jaime Lannister deserves a second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I call myself 'god' in the chapter? Well, aren't we all writers gods of our little stories...  
And what do you think of my Bran and his story? This is the only way I can explain why D&D screwed things up with season 8. They must have been possessed by the three-eyed-raven. Ha, ha, ha.  
Do Jaime and Brienne have a chance, too?  
What will happen to our Sansa? I didn't want to portray her as just a power-hungry bitch. Still a bitch and power-hungry, but there is more to it than that.  
Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.


	7. The Nest Of Vipers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bunch of encounters as well as an important announcement in the end...

Daenerys was still fuming. A day has passed since Sansa Stark arrived in the capital. Her capital. And she still is reeling from it all. She couldn't sleep well at night and neither could Jon. Cuddling was all the rest they had, staying silent while pondering the future. They were both equally mad at the wolf bitch, that happened to be his relative, but were uncertain what to do. On one hand, they could easily eliminate her. Detain and execute her and all her retinue, then go to Harrenhal, where her armies were located and force them into submission. This was easy.

But they couldn't do that. 

Arya would never forgive them if they killed her sister and making an enemy of an even half-baked Faceless was not exactly what you would call smart. And if they did that, what of the rest of the realm. How would they react to their new queen's first act since taking her throne: butchering armies and lords.

Sansa Stark and her retinue were given guest chambers and formally were given one week to reconsider, elsewise they would either leave or become prisoners of war.

Dany summoned her small council to decide what to do. Or rather, dissuade her from doing something drastic.

"Your Grace, I humbly ask you to give me leave to ride out for Harrenhal and crush the rebel army.", stated lord Hightower and proudly puffed up his chest. He wants to marry one of his children or grandchildren to one of her future ones, she knew. Not a bad idea, mind you. She liked such displays of loyalty, even if they were self-serving. _Perhaps though, I should not tell him that my children would be free to marry whom they chose._

"I thank you for your offer, my lord. However, I do not believe that will be necessary. I would rather handle this in a more peaceful manner. Speaking of, lord Tyrion, is there any reason for me to change my mind on this?"

"Yes, my queen. Just as we feared, she would be impossible to handle with reason, I suspect. We would need to look forward to a future without Sansa Stark as a factor."

"Are you implying something, Imp?", Arya snapped at him. Dany appointed the young warrior woman as an advisor to the Small council for Northern affairs, as a way to appease the North. _For all the good that did._ "I certainly hope that you are not discussing my sister's assassination. She might be a stuck-up cunt, but that stuck-up cunt is my sister." Dany knew the sentiment. She felt sad for Viserys's passing, even though he was a terrible brother.

"If it were anyone else, Sansa's head would already be on one of the pikes, lining the Walk of Traitors. And yet, she is Jon's cousin and your sister. And I have come to regard you as the sister, I never had."

Arya smiled at that. She hoped the Stark girl viewed her the same way.

"Likewise, your Grace. But what would you do about Sansa?"

"We have two kingdoms to deal with. The North can go to one of my children, but only as a last case scenario. I would rather give it to you or your brother."

"I would be a bad lady, Daenerys. As for Bran, well, he has stated that he does not want any lordship, but I haven't seen him with a girl before so..."

"A girl?", lord Baelor asked. "The one pulling his wheelchair?"

"Her name is Meera Reed.", Arya stated. "She brought Bran home to Winterfell and has been with him since the castle was burned by the Boltons. She and her brother had protected him on his journey beyond the Wall. But she left soon after she brought him back to us. It seems that she has returned. And Bran seemed quite uncomfortable with Sansa's words, so there is that."

"Interesting." was Dany's simple statement. If Bran Stark agrees to take Sansa's place as lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, that was one kingdom taken care of. Dany knew that while the Northmen would always despise her, they would bend over for a Stark. Especially a male one.

"That certainly solves our Northern problem, while our Vale one has come with a solution.", stated Tyrion.

"How so?", asked the Grand Maester.

"Does anyone of you know the name of Harrold Hardyng?"

"Oh...yes that would work.", said the master of coin with a smirk on his face.

"Who is that?", Dany asked.

"In the event that Robin Arryn dies without male heirs to succeed him, his closest living relative is Harrold Hardyng, who is his distant relation."

"Robin Arryn is married to Sansa, they could have children." He just gave her one of those looks. No.

"I will not condone the murder of a child.", she said her tone harsh and decisive.

"Your Grace, he is 18. And so far, he has proven himself a terrible lord. The Vale managed to stay out of the recent wars and just now, after there is finally peace, he threatens that. The Vale would benefit from having a lord, loyal to the one true queen.", stated Tyrion. "If you allow me, I will have a private conversation with the man. I am certain that he has ambitions, given that the only thing that stands in his way to the Eyrie is a sickly young man. If Harrold Hardyng kills his liege, it will be on his head. We will do nothing to arrange for something like this. Meanwhile, if he doesn't, we can simply sent him to the Night's Watch. It still exists, technically. The realm will always need a place for exiles, criminals, bastards and broken things.", he paused. "As for Sansa Stark...exile, keep as a hostage or send to the Silent Sisters. Death is hardly our only option."

Dany considered this. She will not have Sansa poisoning her children's environment with her spite. The Silent Sisters seems like an interesting end for the haughty Queen in the North.

"See that you do.", Dany simply answered. "Replace Sansa and Robin Arryn with people with some sense about them. Anything else?"

"Yes, your Grace.", stated the Grand Maester. "I wish to discuss something...about your dragon and its eggs."

"They are no threat to anyone. The eggs will be strictly guarded and as long as no one threatens Drogon's nest and he is kept well fed, he will not attack anyone."

"And I hope that your Grace does not wish to confine her dragons, like her ancestors did?"

"Of course I do not. Dragons need food and freedom to flourish. And I intend to give my children both."

* * *

Arya walked to the gardens, not because she enjoyed them. She was not one of those hens, currently surrounding the queen and showering her with flatteries. She did not like the gardens. All flowers and hens. Smells of roses. But she was there for a purpose. To talk with Sansa. She really wanted to beat some sense into her head, to kick her ass for acting like Cersei fucking Lannister. Oh, for so many things. Jon refused to meet with her and she could not blame him. Sansa has insulted his children and wife. A wife who spent her life thinking herself barren. And more importantly: she called my nephews or nieces abominations. 

She saw Sansa sitting alone in a gazebo, guarded by some Stark guards and drinking her tea.

"Sansa. Or should I say 'your grace?"

"Arya.", she gawked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to talk with my crazy sister."

"Excuse me?", now that tone reminds me of the old Sansa.

"Well, you literally walked into the dragon's jaws and spat in her throat. I am quite surprised to see you are still alive."

"Oh, not you too. I am doing this for our family. She and whatever is growing inside her are not our family." Arya had to resist the urge to slap her.

"And what of Jon?"

"Jon or Aegon? He has chosen which side of his heritage he will embrace. It is not my fault."

"How can you act like this?", she asked incredulously. "You who has always claimed family is the most important. You who wanted so much to preserve it. How dare you do this? Daenerys is our family. Her children will be our nieces and nephews. What would father think of you?" That last one obviously stung, judging by her face.

"I am protecting our house. The lone wolf dies and the pack survives."

"Aye. And guess who is the lone wolf now."

"Bran is also with me. Even though,.... he is different."

"How so?", that caught her attention.

"He talks more, he said that I will fail here, that no matter what I do, I will fail."

"Then why come?"

"I would rather die fighting. Join me or leave me. It matters not. I will not surrender. Ever."

"Daenerys will host a small feast within two days, in order to discuss with you options for what happens next. You better smarten up by then."

Arya decided to take her leave. She couldn't stay around her anymore, lest she turned into a kinslayer. And queenslayer. Her sister was lost to her. But what about her brother?

* * *

Tyrion was good at sneaking around. Nobody seems to feel overly threatened by dwarfs. _Can't imagine why..._ Even if that dwarf is hand to the mighty Daenerys Targaryen. Tyrion was going to have a word with Harrold Hardyng, the heir to the Vale. He is the grandnephew of the late lord Jon Arryn, former hand of Robert Baratheon. During lord Jon's rule, the Arryns had a succession crisis. Jon's wives kept on dying without children to give him and his other heirs, his brother and nephew, both died around Robert's rebellion. Harrold is the grandson of lord Jon's sister. Eventually, Jon Arryn married Lysa Tully, who ironically killed him, and had a son, the sickly little Robin Arryn. Lord Robin might no longer be attached to a teat, but how long will he live. Especially after this conversation.

Tyrion was offered some wine by ser Harrold and his wife, Ymina Royce. Those two were ones for pleasantries.

"Thank you my lord and lady. It is good to see some hospitality from a Valeman on occasion.", he couldn't help but remember his last time being 'guest' to an Arryn.

"This is your home, lord hand. Or rather queen Daenerys's. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?", she asked him. The woman was pretty enough, though nowhere near comparison to the current rooster of beauties in Westeros like Sansa Stark and Daenerys Targaryen. Harrold was a handsome young man, certainly would make a lot of girls swoon for him. But this one was daughter of lord Royce, the lord protector of the Vale and head of the so-called Lords Declarant, joint guardians of Robin Arryn.

"I was curious, good ser, how do you feel about being the only heir to a sickly young boy's kingdom?"

"Beg your pardon?" Directness certainly makes one gag into their wine cups. "Lord Arryn is a married man. Soon he will have his own heirs."

" Yes, lady Sansa, who seems so much to resemble her late mother, has four more siblings. Or had. She would soon be having many little falcons, exiting her womb. And what of you two? You could live high in the clouds, as lord and lady of the Eyrie, or remain as a landless knight and a simple noblewoman forevermore."

"Are you inciting us to rebel against our monarch?", Ymina Hardyng all but shouted. _If I was born yesterday, I might not have noticed how you beamed when you realized what i was talking about. _

"You are already in open rebellion against the crown. Or do you presume that Sansa Stark will get out of this mess alive?" He was getting blunt, but there was no need to beat about the bush. He knew ambition when he saw it.

"And what exactly is it that you are offering?"

"Once lady Sansa and her husband are removed from power, you will naturally inherit the Eyrie. We will allow it, in exchange you swear fealty to the queen. Simple really."

"I see.", she smiled. "We will discuss this among ourselves and will give you an answer as soon as we have made our decision." As if there is anything to decide. That was easy. One can always count on ambition to get things done.

After the dwarf hand left, Harrold and his wife were left alone. At first, he was taken aback at marrying the proud lady Royce, but 'Lady Bronze' as they called her, was an excellent wife. She was wise, pretty and had a good last name. Not to mention, she is kind enough to let Harrold take care of his bastards. _Children have no sins, inherited by their parents. _She did not enjoy their existence, but she was also not like one of those ladies, who would hurt their husband's bastards and he was grateful. 

And now this. Them coming here and following Sansa Stark into a war they knew she wouldn't win. Where was the sense of that? Well, he just learned.

"You get it now, right?", she asked and he smiled. "Without little Robin Arryn, you will inherit the Vale. And Sansa Stark will die at the hands of the dragons."

"Yes, it seems that I will be lord Arryn, after all. But how to remove him?" He was no child killer, but he knew that little Robin has to go.

"Accidents can be arranged, dear husband. Especially, for sickly young men.", she replied.

* * *

Jaime needed courage, now more than ever. To talk with ser Brienne of Tarth, who by all accounts wants him dead. And why shouldn't she? He slept with her and broke her heart. He left her to die in King's Landing. The Gods decided to spare his life, for some ridiculous reason, beyond his understanding. And now he was trying to fix things between the woman, who loved him and himself. He found her in the corridors in front of Sansa Stark's chambers. She stood there, guarding a woman, who was never going to leave the city alive. The brave knight would die for her, he knew. And yet, she will do just that - die. No more. 

Jaime wanted to at least save her. To help her escape this nest of vipers that was King's Landing.

"Ser Brienne.", he greeted her.

"Ser Jaime.", she coldly greeted him in turn. "Her Grace is sleeping. Come back tomorrow."

"Brienne, I want to talk to you."

"There is nothing to talk about. You left. You wanted to return to her, to save her. Judging by the corpse, hanging from the Dragon Gate, it seems you failed her, too."

That hurt more than he could ever admit. It surprised him greatly to learn that ser Brienne could hurt someone without resorting to swords and fists.

"You have to leave her. She will not survive this. Don't die for her."

"I swore a vow to her, ser Jaime. You know what this means. I will die for her if I have to."

"Fuck vows. Sansa Stark made her choice the moment she decided to raise an army in rebellion against the rightful queen. Treason is punishable by death. Usually cruel one. Else, why do you think Sansa became an orphan."

"I....do not want her to die, but she would not leave. I know it. She wants to protect her home. And she believes she is doing so.", so you still have a heart then, ser Brienne.

"Look, I know that you will never take me back. I know that I deserve it for acting the way I did. For abandoning you. I am sorry. Truly. But please, do not die here. Just leave the city."

She looked lost in thought, which was strange. He never took her for thinking things through. She fidgeted and somewhat relaxed, after looking around the corridor, to see if they were truly alone.

"Ser Jaime, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I am pregnant."

His mind went blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making the interactions kinda brief, but I wanted to just clear some things out.  
Hope you liked it.  
PS: Okay guys. Here is the thing. Sansa dies next chapter. Brutally. It is gonna be a pretty graphic scene, so I want you to vote on whether I keep to that, or write a different ending for Sansa. I have two options - life in confinement or brutal death. Choose.


	8. The Rot Beneath The Glitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here it is. The culmination of the Sansa threat. I decided against postponing it any further, because it makes no sense to me and most probably you too. After that, we will have a chapter about the consequences of Sansa's endgame and then the promised timeskip into the future. I am taking baby name suggestions (in case you offer something more interesting than the ones I have in mind...he, he.)  
PS: I have redacted the graphicness of the last part. Should be safe to read.

His experience at feasts was a poor one. Granted, as the son of a lord and living in his castle, Jon had seen plenty of feasts. People from all over, coming to eat and drink and laugh in honor of something. He, as the _bastard_ son of a lord however, was not allowed to be with the family. He would usually sit in a corner and quietly eat his meal and drink his mead. Not that he minded. Back then, he would easily get frustrated when the noble born would call him bastard. Which, as it turned out, he wasn't. Now, they were all fawning over him, calling him 'your Grace' and 'my Prince' and 'your Royal Highness'. It seemed so fake to him, the people trying to gain his favor. He even had to take in a few squires. _I am not a knight. _And yet, that didn't matter, it seemed. Technically, a monarch could easily knight someone and for whatever reason one wanted. Granted, it was frowned upon for somebody, without knighthood to give one, but he was the prince consort. He could do as he liked, lest they provoked the queen's temper. Or his own.

Not that he cared for all that. All he cared for was Dany and the babes, who were almost due. Just a few more weeks and he would be a father. That is what he cared about. Dany on the other hand fit in easily. She had taken the ladies-in-waiting offered to her by all the various lords of the realm who sought her favor. If it took for their daughters and sisters to fawn over Dany and giggle around her about all sorts of things (including his own personal appeal, he recently learned), in order to have their loyalty....fine. Jon supervised other things. First, he had made it so that the Unsullied would replace the ineffective Gold Cloaks. Those men were crooks and unskilled ones at that, so until a proper City Watch could be made, the Unsullied would do fine. Actually, they were good at keeping the peace, but they were best used as an army. Second, he started recruiting a Queensguard. Dany needed one. She had to be seen as one of them, the rightful queen of Westeros, not as a foreign conqueror. Over a hundred candidates approached him and he personally sparred with each of them. Needless to say, he didn't even bother to learn the names of most of them. Few impressed him, but eventually he gathered his seven knights. Unlike the previous Kingsguard, which was made up of people chosen as more of a favor, he had chosen them for their honor and skill. The lord commander was ser Jacaerys Velaryon. House Velaryon has been loyal to the Targaryens since before the Conquest. And the cousin of the young lord of Driftmark proved that by being ten times as determined during the selection than any of the other knights. Seven hells, the man almost bested Jon.

Funny thing about the Crownlands. The region was created by the Targaryens. Before that, they were just a few houses, living on lands disputed between the Storm kings and the Ironborn invaders of the Riverlands. Aegon I gave them peace and stability and made them swear fealty directly to him, not to any lord paramount. Jon payed close attention to what the knights were whispering about and heard that after the War of the Usurper, most Crownlander houses chose to ignore him and the Lannisters, instead of being too fervent in their devotion. Some taxes left unpaid, molesting of tax collectors, sending fewer men for the Usurpers' armies, that sort of thing. All that made the Crownlands the one region about which Jon had no concerns about. If only he could say the same about his homeland.

Even though this feast was made in order to peacefully discuss things, he saw that most of them had mean looks on their faces. _Because you hate her or because you hate the fact that she can afford a feast? _Both most likely. The tables were set before the Iron Throne, with Dany sitting on a comfortable chair, right in front of the throne. Jon sat beside her, with Arya on the other side, to show that not all of Stark blood were like Sansa. Tables were spread all over the throne room, filled with nobles from everywhere, most likely curious to see how this will all turn out. So many exotic dishes were served. Dany had ordered that any leftover food be distributed to the smallfolk. The new Queensguard was centered around Dany and him and many Unsullied stood silent guard, in case someone, Sansa, tried something. The chamber looked more like a military encampment, with Sansa and her lords being on the right side and our supporters being on the left.

It was supposed to be a small feast, but now...

Lord Baelor, ever the sycophant, decided to throw the feast in honor of the 'most blessed marriage of Queen Daenerys and Prince Consort Aegon'. With the approval of the new High Septon, who recently arrived from Oldtown to bless the land, where the old Great Sept used to be, so that the new one which was in the process of being build there had good foundations. All nonsense of course, Jon believed in the Old Gods, and even that was a tenuous at best. Dany herself did not believe in Gods, other than herself that is. Her Unburnt nature and her affinity for the flames, which thanks to Sansa angering her, now everyone has heard about. Naturally, the High Septon immediately proclaimed her blessed by the Gods to bestow their wrath upon the nonbelievers and usurpers of the realm. Jon almost laughed when he heard that, but he knew that symbols were important. Being worshipped by two different religions, both of which hated one another, one could be forgiven for thinking his wife a goddess in the flesh. One that Jon worshipped every night. Dany herself did not encourage either beliefs and proclaimed that the Seven will be supported by her, like her predecessors, but she will not banish the worshippers of the Lord of Light, who recently began to come to Westeros to preach their faith.

As the food was being served, everyone was looking forward to taste the dishes before them. Dany was dressed like a true Targaryen monarch - a black and red dress made of Myrish silk. The sleeves were graced by silver jewelry, shaped like dragons, crawling down her arms. The dress looked like a painting of a fiery battle between darkness and flame. Her head was adorned by her crown, the one previously worn by the Conqueror himself, a circlet made of Valyrian steel, with square-shaped red rubies on it. Jon was also dressed regally. A black doublet, with red linings, and his dragon-wolf silver crown atop his head.

Dany rose, it was time for a speech:

"My lords and ladies!", she began. "As you well know, we have gathered under most auspicious circumstances. A new queen, a new realm. I know that many among you have your doubts towards the kind of realm I want. Many call me a revolutionary, not a queen. And I am a revolutionary. But also a queen. It is true that I want to change the realm, but only for the better. But that doesn't mean that I will strip you of your rights. On the contrary, you will find that I want to build a world better not only for the commoners, but also for you. I intend to lessen crime, by having all our young educated in honorable professions, instead of leaving them on the streets, alone and in poverty. I intend to rebuild several parts of this great city, so that foreigners no longer mock us in their cups as being barbarians. I intend to keep our realm strong and united, for there is strength in unity. In stability. In basic decency. What I want is to usher in a Golden Age in Westeros, that will make it so that there will come generations, that will not know the meaning of war. People to be born and live and die in a time, where they will never need to send their husbands and children to war, uncertain whether they will ever see them again. This is what my better world will look like. So yes. I am a revolutionary. And I am sure as hell proud of that."

What immediately followed was a thunderous applause. And how not? What else should follow the proclamation of a new world? A world better for everyone, well almost everyone. He saw Sansa eyeing Dany coldly, alongside several of the lords who supported her. _You could never accomplish or even dream of anything like that. _Even some of her own supporters applauded the speech, chiefly ser Harrold Hardyng. It seems that Tyrion's gambit was about to pay off. Even lord Arryn attempted to clap, to follow suit most like, but was stopped by an angry glare from his own wife.

Dany was about to take a sip after making the toast, when a small boy rushed towards her, bumping in some of the guards. The lad flashed a shiny badge, which caused the guards to make way. The boy looked like he has seen no more than a dozen namedays, a common boy. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, nothing too expensive, but obviously well maintained and cleaned. Dany recognized him and told him to approach. He whispered something into her ear, that made her look change from one of cheerfulness into one of anger. Jon didn't hear a thing, but Arya obviously did and glared daggers in Sansa's direction. _No, she wouldn't....she couldn't. _

Jon began to realize what had almost happened and did not even bother to call for the guards. He grabbed the handle of Longclaw and made to unsheathe his sword and kill Sansa right there and then. He would have, before Dany held his hand. 

"I've got this.", she whispered with a smile and turned to the boy. "Thank you, Merrick. You are truly a priceless treasure of mine. After the feast is over and the leftovers are to be distributed to the people of the city, the orphanage will be the first stop." The boy smiled and sat at the foot of the throne, obviously exhausted from the rush. Jon gave the boy some food, which unlike the wine, obviously, was already tested for poison and watched the next scene unfold. Dany picked the goblet with the not so tasty wine and went for Sansa. His cousin looked both terrified and menacing, which was truly a strange sight. By then, most had guessed what had almost happened and the murmurs, so common for the throne room, were already afloat:

_She is going to kill her, like she killed the Lannister queen._

_Someone is about to die._

_The feast will continue in the Dragonpit._

_Her dragon will join the festivities._

_Almost another Red Wedding._

_Treasonous cunt. _

_She is going to burn her alive. _

And many more. 

As Dany came close to Sansa's seat, Jon went to give ser Jacaerys a look saying _Go guard my wife, _but the young knight was already by her side. _I chose well. _

"Your Grace. Why did the toast not continue?", she asked innocently. _I should be strangling her._

"Forgive me, lady Sansa, but I thought that you might like to take a sip from this.", she slammed her goblet on the table, right next to Sansa's hand. "Drink. NOW!"

Tension was mounting in the room and everyone was looking at Sansa.

If she drank, she would die. If she didn't, it was as if she was proving her guilt.

Arya looked at her similarly to the way Jon did. Scorn. Bran looked at his sister and, if Jon's eyes didn't mislead him, was holding the hand of the girl beside him. _So my little cousin has regained his soul then. _He must have known that Sansa would be caught. Arya told him that Sansa shared with her that Bran was trying to convince her to just bend the knee. _Two wolves sane, one wolf insane._ The rest of the nobles here looked either curious at what was going to happen now or outright disgusted. Her own lords looked appalled. And Sansa looked as if she was as innocent as first snow. Well, until Dany slammed her goblet into the table. Now she looked frustrated and scared.

She took the goblet in hand and then dropped it onto the ground.

Still shivering, she looked Dany in the eyes, still defiant. "It seems that I dropped it."

"You are pathetic." was all that Dany said to her. "My other would be assassins at least had some skill to them. Commander Erren.", she addressed the captain of the guards, one of her Unsullied.

"Yes, your Grace."

"Escort the lady Sansa to the Maidenvault. She is to remain there, forever locked and alone, isolated from the rest of the world as it goes on without her. She will grow old and die, looking at the same four walls, forgotten and alone."

As the guards took to arrest Sansa, ser Brienne stood to confront them, but that just caused more guards to come. A small fighting erupted, but eventually Sansa Stark was dragged away to her confinement and ser Brienne was held back.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I AM THE QUEEN IN THE NORTH. I AM QUEEN OF MOUNTAIN AND VALE!", her shouts could be heard from all over Maegor's holdfast most like. It mattered little though. Ser Brienne gave quite the fight, but was eventually apprehended by the guards. Robin Arryn looked confused at his wife's predicament and all the lords looked at each other in silence.

"Well, let's not let this ruin the evening. I suggest that we call on more food tasters and continue. This is a feast, not a funeral.", Tyrion quipped. _Then why does it look like a funeral then? _thought Jon, as he waited for his wife to return to the table.

"From Dorne to the Wall" Dany said in a voice, loud enough to be heard by everybody in the throne room "and from Lannisport to King's Landing, there will be only one queen and her name is Targaryen."

* * *

Harrold and Ymina were quite shocked. It is not like they did not expect for Sansa Stark to do something, but that was...wow. Watching Sansa Stark, the woman who had once rejected his advances, being dragged away hardened his length. It was exciting to be sure. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself.", whispered his wife into his ear. "Is this one your fetishes, my lord husband? Watching a woman kicking and screaming?"

"Only when it is someone as arrogant as Sansa Stark.", he replied. The haughty woman was truly an annoyance, at best. So smug and arrogant, she had come to the Vale and treated him and their fellow man and women as if they should all naturally bow down to her, just because she is the daughter of Ned Stark. _Who the fuck is Ned Stark anyways?_

"Come, let's get some fresh air.", she said and they went outside. Some of their fellows went away, while others stayed. A divided bunch we truly are. Outside, they went to the gardens, which weren't so far away. When they were finally alone, she grabbed his face and kissed him. Ymina was almost as tall as he was and had no problems doing that.

"Fresh air, a love view of the sea and an even better view before me....what more can a man want?"

"A certain title, perhaps?", she giggled. _I live for that sound. _"It will be yours soon, I am certain. Sansa Stark dug her own grave and was, literally buried alive. Without her, the lords of the Vale are headless."

"There is still your father.", Bronze Yohn was a man of honor, even if honor demanded that he serve a sicky brat. "He will try to do something."

"She tried to poison the queen at her own wedding feast. My father will have an easier time rediscovering the lost secrets of Old Valyria." He laughed at that. "Now you must make your claim. The dwarf said that the dragon queen will support your nomination as the new Defender of the Vale. You must now take it."

"But how? In case you have forgotten, there is still a certain lord of the Eyrie."

"Not for long. Look."

They spied in the distance at a cliff, overlooking the rough sea, their liege lord arguing with his good father. 

"We can't let her be imprisoned. She is my wife and cousin. We must rescue her from the dragons."

"Yes, my lord.", his reply was not at all assuring, but their liege lord did not seem to pay attention.

"I will slay her monster myself, if I have to. Like the Winged Knight." That absurd statement was enough to obviously sent shivers down even Yohn Royce's spine.

"The kid will never trust you, but he might trust me. You distract my father and take him out of here.", she whispered to him. He immediately understood what she was implying. _My loyal wife. _

"My lords.", they approached them, no longer hiding in the bushes. "Could I have a little word with my good father, in private?" Harry's charm was undeniable. Still, those two were hardly affected. Yohn Royce liked him, but was not naïve. And even little Robin Arryn knew that Harry wanted him gone. _Well, it is not like it is a secret._

"Of course, Harrold. My lord, I shall escort you to your bedchambers."

"No, I want to stay outside." her father looked exasperated, but Ymina intervened.

"Don't worry father. I will stay here, until you return."

As Harry left with her father, she addressed the little falcon. "My lord. Do not worry. She will be alright."

"But Sansa says the dragons are evil." _That from the woman, who wanted to assassinate a pregnant woman._

"She is a wolf, my lord. She will be strong enough to survive this."

"If only I were stronger, I would burst there and rescue her." _Poor gallant fool. You wont live long enough for that. Not when you are standing so close to the cliffs. Are you tempting me my lord, to end your life and put my Harry and me into the Eyrie?_

"If only..."

"Alas, these evil dragons came here to cause evil." _Wasn't this fool listening to the queen's speech? Perhaps, he was busy sucking at his wife's teat. The Dragon Queen is a true queen, if Ymina has ever seen one. _

"Don't worry, my lord. It will all be fine. How about we try a little trick my father taught me to give myself strength." _A silly attempt, but with him it might work. _

"Okay."

"Close your eyes and stand on your toes." _By the gods, the silly idiot is actually doing it. _"Now breathe deeply. There my lord, let me help you keep your balance." 

She grabbed him by the arms and looked around. _Good. No one in sight. Our household guards were not allowed around Maegor's holdfast and the lords are elsewhere. Perfect. Goodbye, lord Arryn._

She pushed him over the cliffs. He made a loud shriek, which was silenced by the rumbling skies. 

_A storm is coming. And me and Harry will come out on top of the Mountains of the Moon., _she thought as the young lord of the Vale got splattered on the rocks below.

* * *

Sansa was furious. She had thought of everything. She had spent the last two days, scouring the Keep for the Queen's wine taster. She had ordered for her guards to find his wife and children to hold hostage over him. So that he would not rat her out and let Daenerys be poisoned. Afterwards, Jon would have been king. She would not be punished, because Jon would never wish to be a kinslayer. He might even eventually have forgiven her, if he so much as suspected her guilt. She would have kept her independence and her crown. The Starks would rule the Seven Kingdoms. But no. Those blasted spies of hers had to ruin everything. Even as she was being dragged to her new gilded cage, she saw the said wine taster, who spit in her face.

"The queen is sending her guards to rescue my family from your clutches, you wolf bitch. May your rotten soul forever fester in the Seven Hells." The 'queen's' guards at least had the decency to prevent him from doing anything else.

Her 'bedchambers' were not all bad. They were made for royalty after all. Baelor the Blessed wanted to store his wife and sister away so that they didn't corrupt him. _Targaryen women must have always been so wanton. _Sansa was left alone to ponder her thoughts. All alone. 

It was not a mistake what she did. She was doing it for Westeros. Mother and Father would be proud of me. They must. I am doing this for House Stark of Winterfell.

She lost track of time. It must have been a few hours, since Sansa was locked up here. Suddenly, she heard strange noises from the outside and soon the doors burst open.

"My queen!" It was Yorrick, her captain of the guards. "Thank goodness, you are alright. Here.", he gave her a rough woolen cloak. "To hide your identity." She figured that much on her own. The man should be granted a lordship, unlike her 'loyal' lords, who left her to be dragged out like an unwanted whore. 

"Thank you, Yorrick. I will never forget your deed. Do you have a plan to escape?"

"Most are still at the feast, your Grace. If we are quick, we can still escape from the city."

They rushed to leave the castle and surprisingly enough, they managed to sneak past the guards. _So much for the Unsullied's reputation. I knew it had to be fake. _

The streets were packed with people, who no doubt were waiting to be fed scraps by the queen. Some of her servants had made a pavilion, where they were bringing food from the castle and the poor were lining up. Even the new High Septon was there, no doubt to take some of the laurels. 

_Gods bless queen Daenerys!_

_Seven blessing to her and her children!_

_May the Mother protect her._

_May the Warrior guard her and Prince Aegon. _

Sansa couldn't stand all this. _Don't they see it's all fake? She is a heartless bitch, who doesn't give a shit for the people. _

"Your Grace.", Yorrick whispered. "Please sneak through the crowds and rush for the Dragon Gate. I have a horse waiting for you there. Head for Harrenhal. I shall go gather the others. If I don't come within half an hour, leave without me. I will catch up."

_So I am alone now? Great..._

The raw wool, grey cloak that he gave her covered her from head to toe. Only her shoes were visible when she walked. The hood covered her auburn hair and she felt more or less safe. If the constant threat of being caught was being excluded. To reach the Dragon Gate, she had to cross the whole city, go around Rhaenys's hill and of course pass through Flea Bottom. She didn't want to enter that rotten neighborhood, but she had to as she knew no other road to the gate that was this short. Sansa had to get out of this hellhole and return to her armies. They would protect her.

Entering Flea bottom reminded Sansa of the difference between the rich and poor of the city. Manses and keeps for the rich and crumbling hovels for the poor. The whole place stank of a disgusting combination of horseshit and unwashed whores. Sansa almost puked when she entered Flea bottom, but she held herself back. _No time for that. I have to reach the blasted gate._ She was getting tired from all this walking.

Just as she was to leave the neighborhood, she noticed someone eyeing her. He seemed familiar, but Sansa couldn't tell because it was dark. _I must be imagining things. _

But then, that person called three others and they started following her. She rushed her tired legs, she had to get away from them. "Going somewhere?"

She turned to the left just as a fat fist smashed itself in her nose. "Arghhh, my nose.", she whimpered. It hurt so much. As she was on the ground, the others caught up to them.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in?", Sansa knew that voice. That was him. The wine taster. "I knew that a cunt like you would try to escape. How nice right? That gives us time to reacquaint ourselves right?"

"What are you doing? NO, NO, leave me be. PLEASE...", she whimpered and screamed as her attackers proceeded to remove her cloak and rip her dress open, revealing Sansa's breasts and nether regions. They dragged her to a more quiet street, away from the main path.

"Oh, ho, ho. Would you look at that? A ginger carpet to match the drapes. A classic thing. But her tits are small.", one of the men commented.

"Hold the bitch down and spread her legs.", the wine taster said. As soon as she heard him, she started pleading again.

"Begging now, are ya? Didn't my wife beg your soldiers, when they forced her and my boy to watch as they raped my little girl. You focking highborn cunt.", he punched her. "You nobles are supposed to be protecting us. And instead you come here, to our city, and threaten my family so that I can do your dirty work for you. And even as I am doing that, your men did this. After I saw you getting imprisoned, I rushed home with the queen's guards and I saw my poor girl laying on the ground, blood between her legs. She is dead now. And my poor boy, who tried to save her, also dead. His throat slit. My wife also raped and butchered. There is nothing the herbalist could do. Or anyone else for that matter. They are dead. My whole family is dead because of you. And as I am drowning my sorrows, I spot your pretty ass, trying to escape the city."

_No, no, lies all lies. My honorable men would never do something like that. _

"So see, that's why I am doing this to you. I don't care if I hang tomorrow morning. Tonight, you get what you deserve."

The night seemed to last eternity. She was violated in every way possible. Her pride was destroyed. Whatever shred of her dignity and grace her violators found, they stripped from her. Their brutality and stamina seemed endless to her and when all hope of rescue vanished, she began praying to the Stranger. His mercy was the only one she was about to get and whenever she could ignore the burning pain, Sansa prayed for death. 

Her prayers were answered when the Queen in the North's throat was cut and she bled to death. The violated body which once belonged to Sansa of House Stark was left thrown out onto the streets. Covered in shit and wasted seed, the corpse merged completely with Flea Bottom as the storms raged in the heavens and rain fell upon the earth...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know. The last scene was dark. Understatement of the year.  
It is the darkest thing I have ever written and by the time I wrote it, even I was crying for Sansa Stark, but it had to be done. It is truly the most difficult thing I have ever written and as I finished it I started to feel sorry for GRRM, who wrote about the Red Wedding.  
To all Sansa fans, you are free to hate me, but know that you can't possibly hate me as much as I hate my sick mind for inventing such an end for our already damaged beyond repair Sansa Stark.  
PS: I am never writing a scene like that again. It is too difficult so I hope all Sansa haters are satisfied with this.  
And to all those who were offended/hurt by it in any way, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Some things are nowhere near as easy to write as you may think...  
PPS: I am taking a break from writing till Friday.


	9. The Queen's Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And.....Guess who is back? Missed me? I hope so, cause it is time for vengeance.
> 
> Two words: Fire and blood.
> 
> (Okay, I know that technically makes three words, so just enjoy, okay!)

They learned she had escaped them the very night it happened. It was completely by accident, that one of his sworn brothers, ser Arron Sunglass, saw the Stark captain of the guards talking with his subordinates about fleeing the city with Sansa Stark. Arron called upon two dozen Unsullied to help him arrest all the Stark guards. Afterwards, he rushed for the Maidenvault but it was too late. She had already escaped. Upon questioning them, Jacaerys learned that the man called Yorrick, captain of the guards for Sansa Stark, had already managed to kill the guards posted to the so-called Queen in the North's chambers and had sneaked her out of the Red Keep. Jace quickly ran to inform the queen of it and they sent forth over a hundred Unsullied to search the city. 

Not an easy task. The city was large and Yorrick, despite the torturer's efforts, had refused the divulge Sansa Stark's escape plan. Jace suspected that she was going to flee the city, disguised as a commoner, and run to her armies, still stationed at Harrenhal. He decided that the fastest way to do so was through the Dragon Gate, the gate at the northernmost end of the city. After sending men there, he learned that a horse and a Stark guardsman were there, obviously waiting for Sansa Stark's arrival. After slaying the man, he decided to lay a trap for the Stark girl and so he waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, it was morning and so he decided to give up and start looking for her in the city. The way from the Red Keep to the Dragon Gate passed through Flea bottom, a neighborhood, known for its crime and poverty. While Jace knew that no highborn in their right mind would ever go there alone willingly, he also knew that Sansa Stark would have been in a hurry and would have wanted to leave the city as quickly as possible. 

They searched the neighborhood for days. And nothing....

Until, the day after the new master of whisperers had heard that three known cutthroats, Pitt, Erek and Jas, were heard bragging about 'having fun with a red wolf'. The Unsullied found and arrested them soon enough and after some interrogation they revealed the truth. The wine taster, whose family was held captive and later tragically butchered by Sansa Stark's soldiers, had taken them to have his revenge on Sansa Stark. Apparently, the man noticed her in Flea bottom, trying to escape the city and instead of doing the right thing, calling the city guards, he decided to impose his own brand of justice. The ringleader, Jarred, was soon found in his home, having drunk himself into an early grave.

_What a fucking mess?! _is all he had thought of it. A true tragedy. Jace didn't really have it in his heart to hate the man. Despite everything, the man had lost his entire family that night. He could understand it if the man wanted to kill the person, who was the cause of his suffering. Could. Before. Before he saw what he and his gang had done. Before he saw it with his own eyes.

Sansa Stark's dead body had been thrown in the canals, causing it to be washed with dirt and mud. By the looks of it, her throat had been slashed cleanly, presumably by one of the cutthroats. But...that was not all. She had obviously been violated. Her private parts were covered in scabs and scars, blood dried on them. The rest of her body was pretty much the same. One could barely recognize the woman, who once had the audacity to call herself 'Queen in the North and of the Vale'. Her red hair had turned brownish from the mud. Some rats had obviously attempted to feast on her remains.

At the terrible sight, the kind of which Jace, being only one-and-twenty, wasn't really used to, made even him vomit. To his endless shame. After discovering her, he had swiftly ordered her body taken away. She might have been an enemy, traitor and attempted queenslayer, but Jace didn't think that anyone deserved something as awful as this befalling them. No one did. It was his job now to inform the queen of his findings.

* * *

Dany was mad with fury. After the feast, she had been mad at the brazen assassination attempt, perpetrated against her. If those bloody voices still whispered to her in her mind, Sansa Stark would have died there and then. It took all of her willpower to just order her imprisonment. It was perfect. And simple. Sansa Stark would have been a hostage in the Red Keep once more and her reign would be secure. The Vale and the North would have submitted easily. After all, what was easier? Fighting a losing battle or just bending the knee? Sounded perfect. That's why she should have figured out that it would all go to hell.

Late into the night, while Jon was...calming her nerves...she got word that Sansa Stark had escaped custody and so Dany sent her men to find her. And find her, they did. She was dead. And not just dead, but raped and defiled by animals. Dany hated Sansa. It was well known. For some reason, beyond Dany's full understanding, Sansa had despised her since the day Daenerys went to Winterfell to help fight the army of the dead. In fact, almost everyone there was hostile to her very existence. She could never figure out why. It was illogical to hate the person who had come there to save them all. Without her, they obviously stood no chance to win. And even after she had proven it all in the fight itself, fighting on the front lines, unlike certain other people, they still loathed her. They still thought only of their precious independence. _As if a frozen wasteland like the North could ever survive without any help from the other kingdoms?! _Sansa hated her most of all. To Dany, the girl was simply obsessed with power. Such accusations might be hypocritical coming from her, but everyone was obsessed with power. And it is not like Dany would have stolen the North from Sansa. In fact, Dany would have named Sansa lady paramount of the North, even after all the spite, oozing out of that woman's cold eyes. Before she had risen in open rebellion, that is.

And now...now Sansa was dead. That obnoxious woman was dead. But the manner in which she died....Dany would never condone something like that. Never. Sansa Stark deserved to die after trying to kill her and her unborn children. After threatening her and Jon, by spilling his secret, but not like that. A swift beheading or an equally swift, but much more intimidating, death by dragonfire. Not this. Never this. 

Dany had killed Cersei in a fit of rage well deserved, but Sansa Stark...doesn't matter. She is dead and Dany and her babes, soon to be born, are safer for it. And now, Dany would punish those responsible. With fire and blood.

"A true tragedy, your Grace. My condolences, prince Aegon. She might have been a traitor, but..." Jon cut him off. He too was tired of the empty condolences. He was of the same mind as her, she knew. And Arya...well...

"Tell me where you are keeping these bastards. Give them to me. I will..."

"ENOUGH!", Dany shouted. "These wretched men did this on my own territory, in my own city. It 'my people' would act like animals, then I shall treat them as such and they will be put down. By me, lady Arya, not you."

Arya gritted her teeth, but said no more.

"Your Grace.", Tyrion addressed her. "If you mean to burn them..."

"Oh, yes. And before you start comparing me to my father..."

This time, she cut was the one to be cut off: "I was going to say, you should do it publicly. Gather as many nobles and peasants as you can find and gather them at the Dragonpit to watch."

Now this was interesting. And totally unexpected.

"I seem to remember how vehemently you were against the fiery death of the Tarlys. What has changed?"

"This is entirely different, your Grace." It seems her death has after all hit him pretty hard. _Yet I can't resist calling him out on his own hypocricy. _

"With all due respect, lord Tyrion, we are talking about burning people alive. It is not entirely different.", she echoed his words. True words, annoying, but true. "I am sorry, but I just couldn't stop myself. To call you out on your own words. But fret not, I fully intend to make an example. It just amuses me, that such things happen all over Westeros and yet people only seem to care when it is a highborn. And even then..."

"You cannot kill evil. You can only punish it.", says lord Baelor.

"Maybe not. But I will most certainly do try. I said it at the feast and I will say it again: We live in a broken world. I intend to fix it."

They kept in silence for a while as soon as she was done talking. The Small council chamber was unusually quiet now.

"Has anyone informed lord Arryn of the death of his wife?", Jon asked.

"Your Royal Highness, I am afraid that he is missing."

"What? How?", she shouted. Two bad news at the same time. Great.

"No one has seen him since the night of the feast.", she was informed by ser Davos and then she looked at Tyrion, whose face was trying to say _I didn't do a thing._

"Do you know anything about all that?", she asked her Master of Whisperers.

"Not yet.", Merrick replied. "But I promise to find out." Everyone was eyeing the boy. Many among them wondered how could a child of two-and-ten become a member of the small council. Not that it mattered. He was what she said he was. And to her, he was extremely useful. And unlike Varys, he is loyal. He had saved her life. 

"Keep me informed.", she said. "As for the funeral of lady Sansa, we will pay for that. It is the least I could do." She would bury her and the past in a single night. It was time to look towards the future, but first....

* * *

_The Day of Wrath._ It is what Arya would like to call this day. It is what the commons call it anyways. Sansa had been insufferable, but she was still Arya's sister. When she was informed of what had happened, Arya wanted to butcher half the city, looking for the killer. She would have. Really would have. But Jon and Dany stopped her. She knew, this was better than anything Arya could have done. Well, not anything. Arya Stark had a pretty vivid imagination.

Sansa's idiotic guards, who were stupid enough to let her wander around the city, unprotected and alone, were swiftly and quietly executed. Now all that remained were the rapists.

The Dragonpit was where the dragons were housed. Despite it being a ruin for centuries, now it was being restored, for once more dragons would be housed inside. Rather, it was more of a nest for the queen's dragon and his eggs. Nonetheless, it also looked like a giant arena, now to be used as a ground for executions. The men were chained to the ground, awaiting their fate. They would have begged for mercy, if they still had their tongues that is. The walls and the interior of the vast building were filled to the brim with both smallfolk and highborn. All gathered there to watch, to witness the queen's justice. Arya had attended a similar event years ago and was not left with fond memories, but this...she was going to enjoy.

That wine taster, who was responsible for all this, was already dead. To be honest, after learning what he had went through, she couldn't hate him too much. She still would have killed the man if he lived, but she did feel for the man. But those three, they just raped her sister for their own sick pleasure. And Arya was so going to enjoy watching them burn.

Daenerys stood in the center of the pit, with Jon, Arya herself as well as the rest of her small council sitting beside her. _But where is the dragon?_

And just as she was thinking this, she heard the familiar roar of the winged shadow. Drogon. The dragon was so large that his wingspan was already larger than the pit's length. The dragon did not land, he simply lacked the space, given that there were so many people there. He simply hovered above the land, flapping his wings and causing dust to fly in all directions.

"For the crime of rape and murder, I Daenerys Stormborn, First of My Name, Queen of Kings, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, sentence you to die. Dracarys." is what Daenerys Targaryen said as the dragon was commanded to burn the rapists alive. The fire was strong enough to reduce their whole bodies to small piles of ash.

"This is not done simply because the victim was a highborn.", the pregnant queen shouted. "It is done because of the very nature of the crime. Let It be known that I will never tolerate any behavior like that. I will NEVER forgive crimes like these." 

And as the gathered crowds looked down upon the ashes and shook like leaves at the roar of the massive black dragon, she could think only: _Good. This is the time for these savage fuckers to fear. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, for making this chapter so short. My original idea was for it to be longer, but I decided for it to focus only on Sansa's death and the punishments. I hope you are pleased with it. There were many different scenarios about it in my head, but this one seemed the most logical.


	10. The Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all - Boatbabies are finally gonna see the sunlight. But before that... A hell of a lot more...
> 
> Please, read the notes at the end of the chapter.

"Her funeral ceremony was lovely. Or sad, depends on who you are asking. On one hand, I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders, but on the other... It is like I am partially guilty for it. I did not cause her death, in fact I tried to prevent it, but...

Why is it that people dying tragically, makes you feel bad about hating them? Even if they are wicked creatures, who tried to murder you? Human emotions are so weird... 

And now she is gone. I think that you might have liked her. A weak little thing, that thought itself strong. But that is what the weak do, right? Imagining themselves strong and brave and fearless. If they can't be strong in real life, let them be powerful in their dreams, right? And this is what Sansa Stark was In the end. A weak, proud and beautiful woman. Just the way you like them, right? Just the way you like to abuse them, no... 

Euron Greyjoy?"

She took a closer look at the former king of the Iron Islands. Truthfully, when all the trouble with Sansa Stark started, Dany utterly forgot about the ironborn, who had killed her Rhaegal. She had left him to the torturer, a woman called Misery. A tall, skinny, pale thing. Would be pretty if she wore dresses, but she preferred leather to silk. To listen to the screams of her victims than to gossips. To dismember men than having them between her legs. The woman cared not who ruled the castle, standing above her workplace, so long as she had a steady supply of prisoners to torture. And Dany had given her plenty recently.

Yara had wanted him for herself, but Dany would never do that. The man had killed her child. She would enjoy his screams, too. She liked to visit him every once in a while and talk to him. The man had no tongue to insult her with anymore. Misery loved poetic justice and so it was the first part of him to go. And then she had been cutting other bits of him. His cock, his feet, his hands, his eyes... She had even forced him to eat them, starving him until he did. Dany would have felt pity for him, if she hadn't heard about all the terrible things the man had done to his captives.

Misery had shoved rusted metal hooks inside his cauterized and dismembered limbs, by which she had hung him from the ceiling. The arrogant pretender, who fancied himself a god, was now reduced to a shaking pile of flesh, unable to even beg for death. 

"I have been coming to talk with you for a while now. What is it... 4 months? Give or take? Maybe. I felt that you would have been perfect for talking about my madness. But now it is gone. I have no more use for you. And Misery seems bored with you."

"He is no fun to play with anymore, your Grace.", said Misery, who stood in the corner. Dany had noticed that she was listening to Dany's monologues for a while now, but hardly cared. "You know, that Dornish woman and her daughter used to be here, before you ordered me to remove them. A shame, really. I quite enjoyed their company. Even though, the mother swallowed her own tongue after her daughter finally died from the poison Cersei Lannister used."

Ellaria Sand and her daughter, Tyene. They were monsters, too. Ellaria had murdered Myrcella Baratheon, or Lannister, or Waters, or whatever... The girl was innocent. Moreover, she had murdered both prince Trystane and prince Doran Martell. The dornish snakes shall not be missed, but they were her supporters. That is why Dany had sent their remains back to Dorne, or the Hellholt rather, to be buried. Prince Moran was hardly an admirer of theirs, so she had done it in secret. 

"Pity you killed Cersei, your Grace. I had been dreaming of having her as my guest here."

"What did you do with the rapists, I sent you recently?"

"If I had more time, I would have done a lot more. But I had time to castrate them and force them to eat their own cocks. Their faces, when I forced their members down their throats....Ahhhh...priceless. I started playing with their tongues, but then the guards dragged them for their executions so I just cut the tongues. Artists need time to do their craft, your Grace."

The girl Dany was before becoming a queen would have been frightened of being in the company of a creature like Misery, but the Queen of Kings was hardly impressed. She has seen worse.

"Won't you let me play with the big woman? Pleaseeee…."

"NO, you still have an ample supply of prisoners. Including some of the guards of Sansa Stark, who I decided to leave for you. I will be taking my leave now. Have the prison guards drag the squid king to the square. In my mercy, I have decided to allow him to die. As for Brienne of Tarth, she will be moved from the Black Cells on the upper floor to the Maidenvault."

Dany got up from the chair, her hands clasped beneath her pregnant belly, and took her leave. Ser Jacaerys quickly followed her.

"Tell the guards to do it immediately, else Brienne of Tarth might not make it through the night."

"Yes, your Grace. It shall be done. I...apologize for going to puke, again. I...am not really used to...these kinds of things."

"I know, ser. There is nothing to apologize for. No one should be getting used to things like these."

"Your Grace, if I may...how can a pregnant woman stomach stuff like these?"

"Ser Jacaerys, I have been targeted by assassins since the day I was born. I have been sold to a Dothraki Khal at age fifteen and raped on my wedding night. I have been threatened by sorcerers, assassins and slavers beyond count. I was captured by Dothraki khals, who threatened to have me raped by their khalasars and horses, before I burned them all alive and took the fealty of their forces. I fought against the Night King and the army of the dead. Against Cersei Lannister and Euron Greyjoy. And I have vanquished the lot of them. And you ask me how is it that I can stomach a little bit of torture?!"

* * *

These small council meetings are getting so annoying. Granted, Dany, as the monarch, had to attend and his duty as a husband was to always look after her, but... Jon was not build to suffer all this prattling. With weather starting to get warmer, Jon held the faint hope that future small council meetings could at least be held in the gardens. Some fresh air. Alas, they were still stuck in the small council chamber. 

His wife looked as glorious as ever. Her belly had finally stopped expanding and Ebrose had said that the babies would be coming any day now. Could be today or in a week. Jon had made certain that the Grand Maester and the midwives would be on hand at any given point.

Sansa's funeral was pompous. A ceremony in one of the smaller septs of the city. The Great Sept of Daenerys, as the High Septon had decided to call it, was still not completed, even though the foundations had been made. It would be months before it was. At the ceremony, everyone had to say something nice about the dead. Or nothing at all. Jon was divided. On one hand, Sansa - the greatest threat to his wife and children, was dead. On the other, she had been his kin. Jon did not believe he would miss her much, but...it was still a terrible way to leave this world. Surprisingly enough, Dany gave a small speech, in which she condemned what had happened to Sansa and for people caring about such things, only when they happened to the highborn. Apart from that, the funeral was silent. Most did not utter a word about Sansa, for fear of enraging the queen, the dead woman had recently tried to poison. Sansa was cremated and her ashes would soon be sent North, to be interred in the crypts of Winterfell.

"What of Robin Arryn's death?", she asked. Robin Arryn was found dead, his body washed up on the cliffs near the Red Keep. Some claimed he killed himself in his grief, but most were unconvinced. According to the Grand Maester, the boy had died around the same time as Sansa had, if not earlier, making his death a suicide for that reason impossible. Others said that it was because he had seen his wife imprisoned or that it was an accident. However, all around this table knew what it was...murder.

"He was killed by Ymina Royce, who plotted it with her husband Harrold Hardyng." The obvious suspects were outright confirmed by Bran. They would have to address this soon. Preferably before that arrogant knight escaped King's Landing.

Bran had been invited to the meeting, because he was to be the new lord of Winterfell. 

"And how would you know this?", asked Tyrion.

"I was really hopeful that people would get used to my abilities by now."

"Greensight and skinchanging have always been fairy tales.", stated the High septon.

"So are the gods you represent and yet my powers, unlike them, are quite real."

"Northern heretic.", the old man shouted. 

"I did not come here to argue with you about what gods are real and what aren't. You will not believe me either way. I came here because I knew that you will make me Warden of the North. I came because I would make the armies go home and end this nonsense."

At this point, Arya also present asked him: "If you know everything, did you know that..."

"Yes...and no. I knew that Sansa would never succeed in her designs against you and I knew that she would be replace as ruler of the North by me. However, there were many potential futures, so I did not know her precise fate. In one of them, she remained in the chambers, you gave her at the Maidenvault, and died there at the age of 51 from sickness of the bowels, forgotten and alone. When I saw your men dragging her there, I thought that would be it.", a single tear came from his right eye. His tone was impartial, but Jon and everyone else knew he was sincere. "I tried to tell her to stay North but she wouldn't listen."

"I am sorry for your loss. I hated her and she hated me. She tried to poison me. But...it was a tragedy nonetheless.", Dany said. She felt for them, the Starks who so despised her. For all of Sansa's faults, having few loved ones was not one of them. "Brandon of House Stark. Do you swear by the Old Gods and the New to always be faithful and loyal to House Targaryen, to me and all my lawful heirs?"

"I do."

"Then from this day forth, you are Brandon Stark, The Three-Eyed-Raven, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. Now, your queen commands you to order all the Northern soldiers to return back to their homes and their families."

"As you command, your Grace." Finally. A loyal Stark. Those aren't many. Arya and Bran were the last true Starks now, they ought to keep each other safe.

* * *

Jaime went to the Maidenvault. The tower was so named because King Baelor I was so pious that he didn't want to be tempted by his wife and kinswomen, so much so that he locked them away. And so he died a maid himself, young and without children. To be honest, Jamie never believed in Targaryen Madness. Sure, there were some crazy people in their house like Aerys II, Baelor I, Aerion Brightflame and Rhaegel but most of them were just odd. Or just different. Or cruel.

Seven Hells, one of Jaime's ancestors, king Loreon V Lannister was called _Queen Lorea_, because he liked to dress himself in his wife's clothing and pretend he was a common whore at the docks of Lannisport. There was also Tyrion II, who delighted in torture. And yet nobody talks about Lannister Madness. Curious.

Anyways, the tower was almost fitting for Brienne, but she was pregnant so he had talked with the queen about Brienne being moved to a more comfortable confinement.

When he entered, he saw her standing by the window. She was no longer dressed in armor, no sword around obviously. She was dressed in a dress that didn't fit her. Just like any other dress. _She is a warrior, Jaime. You put on a dress, stand in front of a mirror and say you look pretty._

"Ser Brienne."

"Ser Jaime.", she turned to look at him. This time there was less spite and more wonder. "Is it true what they say? Is she dead? Did such a thing really happen to her?"

Jaime felt for her. Brienne had dedicated herself to protect Sansa. Her vow was her life. A true knight, a paragon of loyalty on the level of the Sword of the Morning, ser Arthur Dayne himself. And in her eyes, she had failed in her duty.

"I...am sorry. It is true. She has been avenged though. The queen has enforced justice upon the rapists." They burned to ashes, really. And looked like they were heavily tortured before being brought to the Dragonpit. "Brienne, justice has been served."

"It is all my fault. I should have never let her come here. I should have fought better. I should have..." at that moment he slapped he in the face. She cannot blame herself for this. Jaime wouldn't tell her, but he knew why it happened. What caused it. But he wouldn't break her heart any further.

"It is not your fault. You didn't set her free and leave her all alone so that she could be raped and murdered by a bunch of animals. You are an honorable woman, Brienne of Tarth, and you deserve better. If anything she is the one who failed you. If she were not a traitor, who tried to poison a pregnant queen, she would have never been in there. She would be alive. It is all her fault."

"If I deserve better, then why abandon me for Cersei?"

"Because I am the stupidest Lannister. The man who ran away from his one shot of true happiness in order to die alongside the woman, who poisoned my life. You deserve better than me."

"You deserve better, too. You are a good man, ser Jaime. A good knight. You also deserve better than me."

"And yet, here I am. I guess we deserve each other. And the child in your belly deserves a future. A future with a mother and a father."

"What are you saying?" She really is a stupid wench. How to make it more clear?

"Ser Brienne of Tarth." He kneeled in front of the giant of a woman in front of him. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

* * *

It was time. The time for Daenerys to give birth. It was only normal. Brienne of Tarth's belly was also big with child, but she had apparently successfully hidden it beneath her armor. Besides, she had one, not two. And on that note, lol. Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. A pair unlike any other. But to her only mattered Jon's and Dany's children. Arya had been prepared for a while to become the good aunt and now the moment was already here. 

Giving birth seems to her as painful as being gutted. Arya knows the pain from the latter. Daenerys roared with pain as the babes were being taken out of her. _So creepy._ And that is a lot coming from someone who can change their face.

Daenerys was attended by the Grand Maester and a small army of midwives. Jon was also there, holding her hand. Arya felt like a sore thumb, watching it all happen. 

"Congratulations, your Grace. A boy. Healthy and red cheeked.", announced the Grand Maester. "Now, please keep pushing. There is still one more."

Another scream followed as Daenerys pushed again. And again. And again. And then...

"A girl, your Graces." was the announcement.

Both children were handed to their parents, who held them. The beginning of two new lives. Small and vulnerable. So adorable, too. If Arya was like one of those hens, that called themselves ladies, she would have said just that. But Arya is still Arya. 

"May I see them?", she asked. Daenerys showed her the babes in her hands. Both crying at their entrance into the world. "How will you call them?"

"The boy will be Rhaellor. After my mother. The Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron throne.", she stated. "And the girl will be Lyanna, after Jon's mother. The Princess of Summerhal."

As Daenerys held the babes together, tears in her and Jon's eyes, Arya looked at them and could swear that little Lyanna was trying to cuddle with Rhaellor. 

_Rhaellor Targaryen and Lyanna Targaryen. Prince and Princess. Or maybe even...King and Queen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some characters, like Misery are inspired by canon characters. This one is named after the mistress of Daemon Targaryen, lady Misaria, called Misery the white worm.  
Just for your info. Loreon V was a historical mention from the books as well.
> 
> And...did you forget about Euron Greyjoy. Because I almost did... hehehe.
> 
> Brienne's pregnancy was a little late in the planning, so apologies for the inconsistency with the dates, given that she and Dany ought to be similarly pregnant, given the few weeks of difference. And the last sentence of the chapter is so not a spoiler for the post-timeskip part. *chuckle* No, not at all. *chuckle*
> 
> Anyways, I am planning to have a few chapters after a timeskip of about 17 years, give or take. So my question to you all, dear readers who read the notes, is....how many more chapters set in the present would you like me to make? I am taking requests, now, before I set my mind about it. There will be at least one or two more, but...if you have any desire to insert some more book characters here, neglected by the TV show, please write comments about them and I will see what I can do :)


	11. The Heirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have missed me, I hope.  
Harry the Heir faces a predicament, so does his wife...  
The Lannisters receive a guest...  
Arya decides her future...

The throne room was dreadfully full. After the queen executed Sansa's murderers, there were whispers that she meant to hold court in the Dragonpit henceforth, but thankfully that is one rumor put to rest. Now the it was full of people, the full court. The throne room inside Maegor's holdfast was massive. Tyrion always thought so. Since he was as some snidely called him a 'halfman', that feeling was doubled. Never being a favorite also meant that he always looked upon it from the floor, instead of the elevated area, where the Iron throne itself was.

But not anymore. Now, he was favored and respected. He was the Hand of the Queen. A queen not only respected, but also feared. And he sure as hell enjoyed the looks of fear he got every once in a while. It was amusing, to hold the threat over their lives like that. Pity, they did not know that he was nothing like Joffrey. He wouldn't abuse his power. Not just because he was genuinely striving to become a better version of himself, but also because he was not fool enough to do so. Daenerys inspired both awe and fear into others. Which was quite good for the ruling queen.

Sitting on the Iron throne, she looked every inch the queen. She wore the Conqueror's crown like she was born to it. It was relatively small and with Valyrian steel's lightness, it was apparently easy to wear. Her dress was her, and his, personal favorite - black and red shades, fighting for dominance over the cloth. Two magnificent pieces of jewelry, shaped like crawling dragons made of silver and gold with ruby eyes, stood on both her arms. Unlike how most women retained some fat after giving birth, Daenerys looked like she hadn't been pregnant at all. In fact, with her breasts obviously larger, she was even more beautiful than before, to the awe and jealousy of all the women around. Especially the ones whom her husband calls 'hens'. They were her ladies-in-waiting. Given that it was customary for queens to have them, Tyrion thought it would bring no harm for her to establish herself as more approachable to the nobles this way. And it did work. All of them hailed from major houses from all over the Seven Kingdoms. One from each. Soon she would have the opportunity to add two more. 

Now that Bran Stark has publicly sworn House Stark's long awaited allegiance to the crown, they no longer had any official enemies. All they had to do was handle the Vale, whose leadership was gone. They backed Sansa, who was now dead, as well as their liege lord Robin Arryn, also dead. They needed new leadership and Tyrion had an idea....which...was recently...rejected. 

_They murdered their liege lord. A child. And you expect me to reward them?!_

Her words still echo in his ears. She was not wrong though. It would set a dangerous precedent. Half the nobles in Westeros would start killing each other to take seats of power, if the queen let this one go unpunished. _Not that anyone would miss the little shit. _Tyrion had no fond memories of the little brat, named after King Robert, pardon the Usurper. He had to remember that it was always the winners who dictated history.

His sweet sister had been posthumously awarded the most fitting moniker of "The Mad Queen". Grand Maester Ebrose also recently finished his book on all the wars that followed Robert's death, called "A song of Ice and Fire". A catchy name, he had to admit. Samwell Tarly had offered it to him and that might have in truth saved the little shit's life. Apparently, he had been the one to blurt out to Jon his true identity out of revenge for Daenerys burning his father and brother. The man looked like a fattened pig, was a sworn brother of the Night's watch, a maester-in-training and had a wife, an adopted son and another one born of his mistress, a wilding called Gilly. They were an amusing lot. Still, the queen most graciously allowed Samwell Tarly's sister to retain the title of Lady of Horn Hill. And her pig of a brother was send back the Citadel. He wanted to become a maester. He would become one. And then go right back to the Castle Black. The Night's watch has been so successfully serving as a place to throw away all the unwanted in the Realm. It would be a shame to end such a useful institution.

And now, the main event: Harry the heir. Or rather, Harry the _former_ heir.

The man looked smug, possibly dreaming about people calling him 'my lord' and sleeping in the Eyrie. His smile was about to vanish and Tyrion looked carefully, not desiring to miss the moment it happened.

"Thank you, lord Stark.", she told Bran after he had sworn all his vows of fealty. "Next comes the matter of the succession to the lordship of the Eyrie."

"Your Grace.", lady Anya Waynwood stepped forward. "My ward, ser Harrold Hardyng, is the lawful heir to the late lord Robin, blessed be his memory. Harrold's mother was the daughter of the late lord Jon Arryn's only sister, thus making him his heir presumptive."

"I see. Thank you for this information, my lady. However, I already knew this."

"Then I shall be lord of the Eyrie.", spoke the impatient knight. "Your Grace, I shall be your most loyal..."

"I am not finished.", she cut him off. "As I was saying, before I got so rudely interrupted, but there is a small matter that requires to be addressed in regards to this. Being but a young woman, I was hoping that the good and honorable lords and ladies of the Vale would help me with it."

"O.o.o.of course, your Grace." ser Harrold stuttered at the inquiry._ Poor thing_, Tyrion thought. He had no idea what was about to happen. 

"Thank you.", she said with a fake smile that did not reach her ears. "My lords and ladies, tell me, is it right to bestow a deceased lord's titles and holdings to the man, who plotted his murder?"

Now this is a sight. The nobles gawking. And poor Harry and his wife were shivering like mice. As the whispers started intensifying, Daenerys lifted a hand and the royal announcer shouted for silence.

"My lords and ladies. You are in the throne room, not your local pub.", she said, sounding as serious as one can get. She even gave them one of those looks, where she tilts her head backwards and looks down upon them all, as if they were insects.

When it quieted down, lord Royce approached the throne. Ser Jacaerys, ever the worrying type, put his hand on his sword. "Your Grace. May I ask what you are implying?"

"Exactly what you believe I am implying, my lord. Your son-in-law and your daughter killed your liege lord."

Ignoring all the whispers, he continued: "And do you have proof of such slanderous accusations?"

"I do. I have the word of lord Stark himself. Surely, your time spent in Winterfell has convinced you of the truth of his abilities?!"

Not waiting for a reply, Bran Stark spoke: "Ser Harrold distracted you, lord Royce, when he asked for a private word with you. He told his worries about how Sansa Stark had humiliated the Vale, which supported her. In the meantime, your daughter pushed him off the cliff.", he stated as if saying that the sky is blue and the grass is green.

Lord Royce stared at Hardyng and his daughter accusingly.

"Father, this is nonsense."

"There is no way this could be true. I did no crime."

"You did. I just told you. Conspiracy and murder of a lord paramount.", Bran stated it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Shut up, you brat.", Hardyng shouted. "Your Grace, if accusations are made, I demand a trial by combat to clear my name and that of my wife."

At that moment, a grin spread on the queen's face. She was hoping that this would happen. She really did. Perhaps some of those gathered here, thought that she would name Drogon as her champion but instead...

"Aegon dear, would you defend your wife's honor and kill this criminal for me?", she asked Jon sweetly as if asking him to pass her the salt.

"Gladly, my queen.", was Jon's reply.

A stage was quickly set up as she decided to have the trial immediately. He had bad memories of the last trial by combat he saw. But then again, back then the odds were unfairly stacked against him. Now though...it was the other way around. Jon was a most experienced warrior, Harrold was little more than a newly knighted squire. He would wager that he has never seen true combat before. And the duel showed just that.  
Jon was dressed in his armor from the war, except now it bore the Targaryen colors and sigil. Longclaw, his Valyrian steel, sword in hand. Harrold had put on his own suit of armor, freshly polished by his squire. A good sword in hand. A man would wager that Harrold had a chance. But Tyrion preferred to bet on the winning side.

"This is going to be brief.", ser Jacaerys muttered and Tyrion couldn't help but agree. As their swords began a sequence of clashes against each other, once could see which of the two warriors was superior. Soon enough, Harrold started to tire from the countless faints Jon made, that were designed just for that. One strike later and Ymina Royce's screams were heard as Harrold's neck was slashed by Longclaw and the battle was over.

"The battle is over. The Gods have made their will known. Ser Harrold and his wife did indeed murder lord Robin Arryn.", stated the High Septon. The inner workings of trials by combat amused him to no end.

After the would be lord of the Eyrie was removed from the Throne room, lord Royce took a deep breath and addressed the queen: 

"Your Grace. What is to become of my daughter?"

"She killed your liege lord, lord Royce. What would you do to her?", she replied.

"Whatever else she may be, she is still my daughter. I humbly ask that you spare her life."

Tyrion looked at their faces. Bronze Yohn was nervous but also angry at his daughter. The so called Lady Bronze was sweating profusely and shaking like a leaf.

"I will give her a choice. The Silent sisters or the Headsman's axe. What shall it be?"

The answer was doubtful, given the similarities. The Silent Sisters were like the female version of the Night's watch. With even less appeal. Nameless and sworn to the faith, their task was to prepare the dead for funeral and keep their vows of silence till the day they die, forgotten and alone. A lonely and miserable existence without a doubt. And yet most were unsurprised when Ymina Royce chose the first option, given that most people would initially choose any fate different from death.

"As to the succession of the Vale.", the queen continued as if nothing had happened. "We need to locate the next of kin. Grand Maester, any thoughts?"

"Yes, your Grace. As instructed, I made a research. I read through the last century's history of House Arryn in "The Lineages and Histories of The Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms". A ponderous tome and a most dull reading, if I do say so myself, however it does provide and excellent source of information, regarding lines of descent. It seems that the closest living relative of the late lord Arryn is lady Waynwood."

"What?", more than one man exclaimed.

"Yes, it seems that her grandmother was the great aunt of lord Jon Arryn. This makes her the legal heir of the lordship of the Eyrie."

Now there was a shock, he expected. It was all true. Lady Waynwood was the heir, after Harrold, and she most likely knew it. But they knew for a fact, she had more honor in her pinky finger than the recently deceased. Waynwood were old Andal nobility and just like the Northerners if they swore a vow, they would keep it.

"Therefore, I name you lady of the Eyrie. Yours and your heir's names shall be henceforth Arryn and you shall rule the Vale."

The old woman bend her knee, obviously still fit enough to do that and pledged her fealty. Apparently losing your prized ward did not make one too sullen to enjoy their rise in station.

And thus, finally, after so long, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were finally under the Targaryens.

* * *

Jaime and Tyrion were uncomfortable. The two brothers had many moments of anguish. Jaime had been made a kingsguard by Mad Aerys, had killed Mad Aerys, had been Robb Stark's captive, had his hand chopped off by the Boltons, had fought in the Battle for the Dawn, had seen Daenerys Targaryen bash his sister's skull akin to the Mountain doing the same to Oberyn Martell.... 

This was scarier. For now, heand his brother were about to face the most terrifying member of House Lannister.

Forget about father.

Forget about Cersei.

There was none more terrifying than....aunt Genna.

"Dear nephew, I heard you were marrying a man. Is it really true?", she asked with the same smug grin that has been haunting his worst childhood nightmares. And his adulthood nightmares.

"Ser Brienne is a woman, aunt Genna. The fact that Jaime has gotten her pregnant is proof enough of that.", quipped Tyrion.

"Shut up, traitor.", she snarled at him. "Don't think that just because a hell of a lot of Lannisters died recently, that I will forget that you murdered my brother."

"My father..."

"Yes, yes, yes.", she cut him off. "I am well aware that he hated you. Him and the rest of the Known World. You think that matters. He was still your father."

"He sentenced me to death, knowing I was innocent. I regret nothing.", he snarled at her.

It was then that aunt Genna rose from her seat and made her way to Tyrion. Somehow she made his little brother look even smaller. She struck him with a slap to the face, so strong that Tyrion almost fell from his seat. And then....she hugged him.

Tyrion's face, as well as Jaime's, were depictions of pure shock. Genna sat back and after a few tense moments, Tyrion asked:

"Why?"

"The slap was because you, my kinslaying nephew, killed my brother. I do not say that I quite enjoyed the man he turned into at the end, but he was still my brother. My big brother, who always stood by me. He first did so when he was ten. He shouted in disgust at my betrothal to Emmon Frey and made Walder Frey piss his breaches. Because of the fear he inspired in Emmon that night, now I have a most obedient husband."

One that quite mysteriously died as soon as his claim to the now empty Twins was recognized by queen Daenerys. Genna's son was now lord of the castle, being ruled by his lady mother.

"And the hug?", he asked bewildered. "What was that for then?"

"For growing a spine. After so long of being hated and oppressed by your family and those around you, you decided to finally do something for yourself. Look at you now, Hand of the Queen. If it weren't for that, I imagine that we would all be dead by now and one of our 'most loyal vassals' would be sitting on the throne of Casterly Rock.", she said. "Now, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes....Jaime's marriage proposal."

"Aunt Genna, I..."

"What did I say about not getting interrupted?", she shouted. "When is she due?"

"In a month. Two maybe, at most."

"Do you really love her?"

"Yes."

"Well....no doubt many would think you are crazy for marrying a woman, who looks like a man. Oh well, at least this blond is not your sister."

"You knew?", he asked.

"The whole fucking realm knows this, nephew.", she snapped at him. "But enough of that. You, me and your unlovely bride are travelling to Casterly Rock, where you will finally take your seat as lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. There you will marry that woman so the child is not going to have to be born a bastard. We are leaving tomorrow morning. Now leave my bedchambers and go pack. You are going home."

* * *

Arya was on the docks. Her ship and crew were finally ready. She was going to finally set sail. Since telling lady Crane about it, Arya has been going back to that moment many times. What is west of Westeros? A mystery. Something to look forward to. She could hardly wait. Her blood was hot with all the excitement. And besides....

She had nothing to do here.

Arya loves her family. Bran and Jon and...seven hells...Daenerys, too. The twins. But this place was also filled with memories of all she had lost.

Father...

Mother...

Robb...

Rickon...

Sansa...

The old pack is gone. Bran is going to make his own pack, alongside Meera Reed, who has recently accepted his marriage proposal. Jon had his own pack...of dragons. Daenerys and the twins would always be more family to him than the Starks were. And honestly, she is not surprised. She is not disappointed. Jon had been treated like an outsider and now he had his own side. She was happy for both of them.

Even Gendry had his own pack now. He had recently announced his betrothal to lady Serena Swann. She was beautiful, big breasts, a pretty face and all that. Not like Sansa and certainly not like Daenerys, but she was a fine lady nonetheless. She would be good to him. Arya had made sure of that after visiting her chambers one night and having a small conversation with the future lady Baratheon. _She was more fearless than I thought her to be. Not just a pretty face._ Gendry was a good man and he deserved to be happy. She can make him happy. Arya Stark cannot. Arya has never wanted to be a lady of a castle, especially after her journey to Braavos and back. It was just not for her. And Gendry's impulsive proposal. She couldn't accept it. She knew that whatever happiness they felt, while they fucked before the Great battle, would not last them forever. And besides, back then Arya just wanted to loose her virginity, before probably dying. 

And thus now everybody had their own pack, except for her.

But she knew she did not fit well with packs. Arya Stark is the Lone Wolf. And she will thrive alone.

It was fine though. It is not like her farewells with them would be the last time she ever saw them. She will return. With stories of a new world. Just you wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things happened, I know. What do you think as to my decision for the fates of Sam Tarly and Harrold Hardyng?  
Next comes the time jump. I am thinking something of 17 years or so. As to how long that part of the story will be, wait and see...  
Tomorrow, I will post an appendix, detailing all the various relationships and births that will have happened in between.


	12. Appendix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is some info on the characters who may or may not appear in the second part of the story. Many of them will though. I have some ideas about them.  
Some character names are from the books, most are original though.  
And thank you all for passing 10 000 hits.

**House Targaryen**

Daenerys 'The Great' Targaryen, Queen of Kings (born 282 AC) and Aegon 'Jon Snow' Targaryen, Prince Consort (born 282 AC) (married 308 AC)

\- Rhaellor 'The Prince of Darkness' Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, and Lyanna 'The Daring' Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone (born 309AC) (married 326 AC)

\- Prince Aegon Targaryen (born 327 AC)

\- Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (born 329 AC)

\- Prince Maekar Targaryen and princess Alysanne Targaryen (born 330 AC)

\- Visenya 'The Wild Dragon' Targaryen, Princess of Summerhall (born 311 AC) (married to Alannys Greyjoy in 329 AC)

Drogon's eggs hatch in 310 AC aka The Year of the Dragon:

\- Eddarion - blue and white - bonds to Prince Consort Aegon Targaryen;

\- Daenerion - black and purple - bonds to Prince Rhaellor Targaryen;

\- Velaxys - orange and gold - bonds to Princess Lyanna Targaryen;

\- Endeavor - green and blue - bonds to Princess Visenya Targaryen.

**House Greyjoy**

Yara Greyjoy, Queen of the Iron Islands (born 275 AC) (married Tristifer Botley in 311 AC)

\- Prince Theon Greyjoy (born 311 AC)

\- Princess Alannys 'The Flying Pirate' Greyjoy (born 312 AC) (married to Visenya Targaryen in 329 AC)

**House Stark **

Bran 'The Allknowing' Stark, Lord of Winterfell (born 290 AC) (married Meera Reed in 309 AC)

\- Eddard Stark (born 313 AC)

**House Tully**

Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun (married to Roslin Frey in 300 AC)

\- Ser Edmund Tully 'The Knight of the Rivers', Viceroy of the Easternlands. (born 301 AC) (married to Aelena Paenymion in 325 AC)

\- Lady Catelyn Tully (born 310 AC)

**House Baratheon**

Gendry 'The Bastard Stag' Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End (married to Serena Swann in 310 AC)

\- Ser Orys 'The Oncoming Storm' Baratheon (born in 311 AC)

\- Lady Cassana Baratheon (born in 313 AC)

**House Lannister**

Ser Jaime 'Goldenhand' Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock (married to ser Brienne of Tarth in 309 AC)

\- Ser Loren 'The Giant' Lannister (born in 309 AC) (married to Lynesse Hightower in 327 AC) 

\- Lady Joanna Lannister (born in 312 AC)

**House Arryn (formerly House Waynwood)**

Lady Anya Arryn, formerly Waynwood, Lady of the Eyrie, former lady of Ironoaks.

\- Ser Morton Arryn, formerly Waynwood, heir to the Eyrie. (married to Rhea Royce in 312 AC)

\- Ser Oswin 'Skyborn' Arryn (born in 313 AC)

\- Ser Donnel Waynwood, Lord of Ironoaks.

\- Ser Wallace Waynwood, 'The Falcon Knight'.

**House Hightower of Highgarden**

Lord Perceon Hightower, Lord of Highgarden (married to Desmera Redwyne in 309 AC)

\- Ser Mern Hightower (born in 310 AC)

\- Lady Lynesse Hightower (born in 311 AC)

**House Martell**

Prince Moran 'The Cruel Sun' Martell (born in 260 AC) (married to longtime paramour Ella Vaith in 309 AC)

\- Prince Qoren Martell, born Sand, legitimized by Queen Daenerys I (born in 291 AC)

\- Princess Elianna Martell, born Sand, legitimized by Queen Daenerys I (born in 293 AC)

* * *

**Events**

311 AC - Slaver uprising in the Bay of Dragons, caused by remnants of the Sons of the Harpy as well as remaining masters in Astapor and Yunkai, supported by Volantis and Lys. Lord Regent Daario Naharis is assassinated. Queen of Kings Daenerys goes back to the Bay of dragons, ahead of an army of 50 000 men, riding atop Drogon. Astapor is razed to the ground, Yunkai surrenders and Meereen is subdued. Volantis and Lys pay heavy reparations.

316 AC - The Year of the Revolutions. Massive slave revolts erupt across the Free cities. Lys, Volantis and Tyrosh are overtaken by the slaves, who vastly outnumber the freeborn and the nobility. The three cities, in need to stabilize their economy after being abandoned by the other Free cities, seek the help of the Mother of Dragons. By royal decree, queen Daenerys declares that the Bay of Dragons together with Lys, Tyrosh and Volantis will form a single region, called the Easternlands, under the authority of the Iron throne. As a result a new political faction, called the Young Dragons, is formed by the surviving elites in the Easterlands as well as many of the other Free cities, advocating for the first time ever for closer connections to Westeros.

319 AC - Myr and Qohor, secretly backed by the Iron Bank, plan an attack on the Easternlands, seeking the sack the smaller towns, with the great cities still weakened from the revolutions. Queen Daenerys swiftly ends the plot by sacking Myr in what is later called the Breaking of Myr. The Free city of Myr's government is overthrown by the local faction of the Young Dragons, who join the city to the Easternlands. 

321 AC - By royal decree, Queen Daenerys I declares that henceforth the Night's Watch, which has long fulfilled its purpose, will be transformed into a prison for the criminals of the realm, who beg for mercy instead of execution. There they would atone for their crimes by helping reconstruction projects across the Lands Beyond the Wall, the North and other regions that need it, as well as mapping out the Lands beyond the Wall. 

323 AC - On the 15 year anniversary of her taking the Iron Throne, the Easternlands autonomous region bestow upon Daenerys the title 'Defender of Freedom'. Summerhall castle is rebuilt and gifted to Princess Visenya, along with the title of Princess of Summerhall.

326 AC - Prince Rhaellor Targaryen marries his twin sister Lyanna Targaryen. This causes a small scandal, given that there were rumors that there was an agreement to betroth him to Lynesse Hightower, the youngest daughter of Lord Peremore Hightower of Highgarden.

327 AC - Lady Lynesse Hightower is married to ser Loren Lannister, heir to his father, lord Jaime Lannister. Prince Rhaellor's first son, named Aegon after his father, is born.

329 AC - A huge scandal is caused, when princess Visenya marries her longtime lover, Alannys Greyjoy, while on a trip to Volantis. The ceremony is performed strangely enough by both a priest of the Drowned god and by High priestess Kinvara, of the Lord of Light, whom Visenya worships. The event is witnessed by Visenya's closest friend, ser Edmund Tully, and ser Wallace Waynwood of the Kingsguard as well as many Volantene noblemen.  
Princess Alannys and princess Visenya are summoned back to King's Landing to explain themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tons of info that has happened in the meantime, but don't worry it will be mentioned and alluded to throughout the future chapters.  
I wrote it all here so that my inner dialogues will not have to be so damn many, considering that there is a time jump of about 20 years, give or take.  
As I have implied, the next chapter will open with the return of the two brides to court.  
Well, what do you think so far?


	13. The Next Generation. The Princess Brides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. The second part of the story. Or more like a short sequel, really. I call it "The Next Generation". It has been 20 years since we have last seen them  
Refer to the Appendix, if you have trouble identifying some of the characters. And please say what you think of them...the new generation:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene is pure smut. Just saying. A small gift to my devoted subscribers.

Alannys loves ships. She was born on one, for her mother, queen Yara, wanted her to be born in the open sea. Both herself and her brother were this way. Theon though was more...let's say boring to her. She is the only one of the two to have inherited their mother's adventurous spirit. After her 14th nameday, her mother sent her to be fostered in King's Landing. It was all a ploy by the Queen of Kings. She wanted all the future heads of the Great Houses of Westeros to get along. Being a princess, Alannys at least was not made to become a lady-in-waiting, which was a real blessing from the Drowned God. She hated it. Still, court was not all bad. There was tons of protocol, she had to follow, but at least there everyone was allowed to learn how to fight. And that's why she met the naked woman in front of her. 

Visenya Targaryen, third child and second daughter of Daenerys the Great. She was strong, willful, beautiful. Her silver hair was braided, like her mother's and her lilac eyes were ever filled with fire and passion. Not to mention that this is the only woman, Alannys has ever lost to. Though she found herself hot with excitement when Vis's sword was pointed to her throat. She had wanted her since that fateful day. And then she had her. Or was it the other way around? Not that either of them cared much. They were too lost in each other's moans that night. They even rode her dragon, Endeavor, together. The feeling of riding a dragon. There is nothing else like it in the world. And the princess of the Iron Islands was not thinking of the fire breathing beast.

"Are you just going to keep staring or are you finally going to fuck me?", she asked in that commandeering voice of hers. The hunter has long since become the taken.

"Come claim me, wife.", Visenya said, pointing towards her wet cunt, her pointed nail, resting on her trimmed silver bush. Alannys could not think straight anymore.

She removed her clothes as swiftly as possible and tossed into the pile, formed from the clothes of Visenya, and lifted her in her arms. "You are going to pay for teasing me like this, my rock wife."

"Yours? Aly, please, we both know that it is the other way around." Alannys tossed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, grabbing both of Visenya's large breasts in her hands, twisting her nipples, which elicited a sharp moan.

"Ooooh."

"That's what you get for being a cheeky bitch, your Royal highness."

"Punish me then. If you can, that is?", she left her no more time to speak, as she placed her cunt above the delicious lips of the Wild Dragon, muffling her sounds. She still held her nipples behind her back, pulling on them, whenever the princess slowed her pace.

"Now, you know your place.", she stated triumphantly. But early. For a dragon does not submit so easily. A dragon can only be controlled if you feed it properly and this one was not yet sated. 

Alannys arched her back backwards so that she could plunge the fingers of her right hand inside the princess's moist cunt, drawing moan after moan as she stroked her with all her strength. Visenya has long since made it clear that she would have it no other way. Just like her mother, she despised weakness. And Alannys was determined to keep proving to her wife that she was worthy of her love. One orgasm at a time.

Their lovemaking must have lasted for the whole night, judging by the sun, desperately trying to breach the small windows of their cabin on the 'Queen Rhaella'. Visenya was already awake, staring at her lovingly. She always turned soft afterwards. Soft and lovable, the steel hardening slowly back into shape.

"Well, well, well. It seems that my wife finally wakes. I have been staring at you for a whole hour and yet, you keep napping leisurely."

"As if you do not enjoy watching me.", that elicited a giggle from both of them. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost. We are disembarking in two hours, so we better get dressed."

"I think that if your mother sees us like this, she will know that the tales are true."

The brief silence that followed was proof enough of her worries. All of the Great queen's children were different. Rhaellor was dutiful. Lyanna was friendly and sociable. Visenya was wild and willful. But all of them feared disappointing their legendary mother.

"You were there with me. When we journeyed to Meereen, Lys and Volantis. You saw them, you heard them. They call my mother strong, ruthless and merciful and great. All do. Dread her, fear her, worship her. She is like a living God. The Faith of the Seven and the Lord of Light, to different religions that loath each other, both worship my mother. How can anyone come close to that?"

"You don't need to. You are your own person."

"I know, it's just that I fear of disappointing her, Aly."

The marriage was a hasty one. They knew that after her elder siblings broke off their informal betrothals to Lynesse Hightower and Oswin Arryn, there would be pressure on Visenya to marry someone. Many of the heirs of the Great houses were available and of the same age. Mern Hightower, Loren Lannister, Oswin Arryn, Orys Baratheon....

Lynesse's marriage to Loren was swiftly arranged by the queen of kings herself in order to placate the Hightowers, but Alannys knew that the haughty bitch wanted her last name to turn into Targaryen. Still, Loren could beat some sense into her. The Giant, as they called him, was 6 and a half feet tall, the tallest men in Westeros. All thanks to his giant of a mother. Lynesse should count herself lucky that he takes his looks from his father.

Oswin was an idiot, who fancied himself a great knight in the makings. Even his uncle, ser Wallace of the Kingsguard, realized that.

Orys was nice, but that temper of his. He got easily angered whenever somebody insulted his father, which outside the Stormlands, was a common occurrence. If he ever hurt her, Alannys would have killed him on the spot. 

And Mern Hightower was a man too soft for her. And a man.

Visenya was strictly into women, another thing Aly shared with her wife. So in order to prevent all that, on their trip to Volantis, they got married.

They had brought a priest of the Drowned god with them and the ceremony was doubled with the local High Priestess of the Lord of Light, a woman named Kinvara. _Two Gods for us, Aly. One is not enough. _The ceremony was witnessed by Edmund Tully, the Viceroy of the Easternlands and Vis's closest friend, as well as many Volantene nobles. Funny thing about marriages, they are all about man and woman, but it is not written anywhere that it cannot be between two women. Neither Vis nor Aly were to inherit anything so, who cares right?

It wasn't fortnight before they were summoned by both their mothers to give an explanation, in King's Landing. To make certain that the marriage cannot be annulled, on the grounds of non-consummation, they fucked each other in many different ways, during their month-lasting voyage. It is safe to say they were no maids anymore.

"Our mothers will be happy for us, I know it." She stated with confidence, but that was not entirely so. For what sane person did not fear invoking the wrath of the Mother of Dragons.

* * *

"Well, let's get in.", Visenya stated with all the confidence she could muster and commanded for the doors to the throne room to be opened. Her Aly stood beside her, hands entwined. "Whatever happens, we face it together.", she told her wife. Beautiful, Long curly dark hair, as tall as she is. Her small, perky breasts. Her tasty lips. Those abs of hers. She had to focus on something else now. The throne room. Her mother. Their fates.

Edmund, her loyal friend led them towards the Iron throne. Much of the court were present. Maybe all of it. Many of her friends were here, too. Some smiling, others scowling. At the center of it all was the Iron throne and the small council and her family around it. Alannys's mother was also present. Her analytical mind scanned her audience:

Lord Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen. 59, greying hair, short, ugly, loyal to the bone;

Lord Baelor Hightower, Master of Coin. And her would be uncle-by-marriage. Proud, obviously disappointed, 63, grey hair;

Grand Maester Ebrose, Grand Maester, 87, old, still straight but walks with a cane. Suspicious;

Archmaester Kerwyn, Ebrose's aid, future replacement, kind, loyal, 48;

Lord Merrick, Master of Whispers, 32, black short hair, silk robe, knows everything, loyal to the bone, chiefly to mother;

Lord Davos Seaworth, Master of ships, Lord Admiral of the Royal Targaryen Fleet, 61, good man, loyal to the bone also, but chiefly to father;

Lord Monterys Velaryon, Master of Laws, 30, lord of Driftmark, nephew of The lord commander of the Queensguard, loyal Targaryen supporter, incapable of scheming, dutiful;

Ser Jacaerys Velaryon, Lord Commander of the Queensguard, 41, loyal to the bone, good man, good with the sword. Almost as good as father;

The High Septon, a sycophant, wrinkly, old, fat, lickspittle, zealot, as old as the gods he worships most like.

And there were her family, around the Iron throne:

Crown Prince Rhaellor Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, 21, tall, handsome, dark black hair that sparkled in the light, deep purple eyes, ethereal, kind, loves to brood like father, will be a good king one day, the only one of her siblings that can beat her with a sword. The Valyrian steel longsword, Dawnbreaker hangs on his belt. A gift from conquered Volantis;

Princess Lyanna Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone, also 21, twins with Rhaellor, sociable, friendly, nice, silver hair, lilac eyes, the perfect consort, pregnant again;

Her father, Prince consort Aegon Targaryen, 43, good man, great father, great man, hero, totally subservient to mother, not reliable to get you out of trouble involving mother's fury.

And of course mother herself, The Queen of Kings, Daenerys the Great. Beautiful, ethereal, possible divine entity. 43, but she didn't look it. She looked as if she hasn't aged a day since turning Visenya's age. Great, mighty, legendary ruler. The most powerful person in the entire world.

As they reached the throne itself, ser Jacaerys's booming voice was heard:

"You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of Kings, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, the First Men, the Valyrians and the Ghiscari, Lady Regnant of the Eight Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, Defender of Freedom, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons."

She raised her hand. "Thank you, my good ser, but I know who my mother is. Let's get on with it."

Her mother smiled. "My sweet child, we will come to your matter, but first.... Viceroy, any reports?"

"Yes, your Grace. The Easternlands are well. We have finally restored peace in the region. Brigands on the roads are now a rare occurrence. I also have news of that person's whereabouts.", responded the knight of nine-and-twenty.

Her mother's face straightened at that last sentence. _What person?_

"Good that you have come here then. It is a sensitive piece of information. Tell me, is it true what our royal ears have heard, regarding my daughter's activities?"

"Yes, your Grace. The ceremony was officiated by High Priestess Kinvara as well as a priest of the Drowned God."

"A most interesting wedding. The witnesses?"

"Myself, my new wife lady Aelena Paenymion, ser Wallace, ser Geremy as well as many Volantene nobles. It was a royal wedding, after all."

"And yet, neither of the brides' mothers were invited for their daughters' wedding. Want to explain yourself, young lady?"

"Mother, I...", all her preparations for what to say had vanished by then. "The whole point of this wedding was so that I wouldn't be forced by you to marry someone else."

"So is that your excuse? You do not love my daughter?", asked angrily Yara Greyjoy.

"No, queen Yara. I love her with all my heart, I...", her speech was interrupted by her father, an unlikely savior.

"Stop it you two, cruel women.", the Prince Consort spoke. "Dany you knew that it was going to happen and you let it. Stop torturing our little girl."

"Honestly, I was surprised that it took them to go all the way to Volantis to do it. I am telling you, it was all so that I couldn't be present."

"How can you make it all about yourself?"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?", Visenya shouted, incapable to contain her confusion and anger at their reaction anymore. All eyes turned on her.

"To put it simply, princess", addressed her lord Tyrion. "Your playful mother knew of your relationship to princess Alannys since the night it began. This alleged engagement of yours was meant to encourage you to stop hiding it and get serious."

"Unlike certain somebodies who broke their engagements, just a day before the announcements.", her mother said pointing towards her siblings, who hung their heads. "Do you really think that I would force any of my children into marriages they do not want? That promises only misery and I will have none of that. Least of all for my family."

Visenya was speechless. Her mind numb. "So...we have your blessings?"

"Naturally.", mother replied.

"Of course.", Queen Yara, her new good-mother said.

"I still believe it an affront to the gods, your Grace. Such a relationship, let alone marriage is...."

"SILENCE.", her mother's voice boomed high enough to be heard in Volantis and it made the High Septon shiver. "I don't give a fig about what you think. If the Gods are so pissed at my children's happiness, then they can come down from the heavens and tell me themselves."

Her mother's godlessness was pure valyrian. Everyone, who knew her, knew that mother worshipped only one god whose name is Daenerys Targaryen.

"And besides", she stated more softly. "If the Gods were against it, surely by now, a whole month later, they would have made their anger, if any, known. Surely that means that they know it is outside their jurisdiction. Plus, two other gods approve and while I know your opinions of them, HIgh Septon, truth is there are thousands of Gods all over the world. Yours are but seven of them. And I am sure that you have read the Doctrine of Exceptionalism. You know that when it comes to family, my kin does what it likes.", she stated.

"In the eyes of Gods and Men, I Daenerys Stormborn, Queen of kings, proclaim the marriage of my daughter Visenya to Alannys Greyjoy, princess of the Iron Islands, legally binding in the eyes of the crown. Those who defy its sanctity defy me. And all know what happens to those who defy me." 

_Mother, you are so cool._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included a physical description of much of the characters here. So that you can imagine them more easily. Well, what do you think of them?


	14. The Brave New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some description on the changes that Dany made to Westeros during the time jump.  
Reactions to her latest decision and the youth of Westerosi nobility.

It has been 21 years since the reign of Daenerys I Targaryen began. 21 good years. The best years Westeros has ever had. So it is no surprise that the maesters have decided to call it the Golden Age of Westeros.  
Her achievements are so many that Kerwyn has expressed his doubts that her whole life would fit a single book, but Grand Maester Ebrose had taken to filling his great book: **A song of ice and fire. Or: The Chronicles of the life of Daenerys the Great.**   
A great story, truly. That man, Samwell Tarly was kind enough to help his mentor pick the title, the first part of it that is, before being sent back to the Citadel. Sending the poor pig-looking man back there might have been more of a curse really. Old men can be spiteful and the other archmaesters were known to be prickly. Ebrose had expressed desire to receive frequent reports on Tarly's status and the man's misery had been making him smile more often. Kerwyn himself was grateful for that. The Grand Maester was an old man. Like really old. He pretended to be 80 namedays, but he was 87. Why lie about it, Kerwyn would never know. Still, everything that made the old coot happy, lifted a burden from Kerwyn's shoulders. Both of the men knew that Kerwyn was there to succeed Ebrose and his mentor was not overly fond of being replaced. No one is.

Kerwyn returned his mind to the tome. No doubt many future rulers would want to read it. 

After her twins' birth, she became very active in implementing her new policies, many unthought of by anyone before:

1) There was the safety of the roads and people of the realm. She started recruiting men for the city watch and training them by the Unsullied. Granted they weren't trained as brutally as the eunuch warriors, but the new City Watch of King's Landing became the best one in Westeros. So much so that lords Lannister, Hightower, Arryn and Manderly were made by the queen to accept some of her Unsullied officers to train their city watches. Needless to say, the cities of the realm became a great deal safer.

2) But why limit herself to the cities? The roads across the realm were unguarded. Not to mention the villages and small towns. They were all at the mercy of brigands and bandits, all the while relying on help from the local lords, who were not always caring enough for the smallfolk. To combat that, queen Daenerys created what became known as the Red Fangs. Under the overall jurisdiction of the Master of Laws, currently lord Velaryon, it is a force of well-trained men, whose role was to enforce and defend the Queen's Peace throughout the realm. Each region of the realm had its own division of the Red Fangs. Eight divisions in total, each 3000 strong, whose commanders all answered only to the master of laws and, naturally, the queen on the Iron Throne. There was some noise among the lords that there were armed men, prowling the streets, who did not answer to them, but after greatly decreasing crime in all areas defended by Red Fangs, there was no more opposition to their presence. The Red Fangs also had the authority to arrest any criminal, both lowborn and highborn, within their region and bring the person to answer for his crimes in the capital of the respective region. If there was suspicion on how fairly the trial had been conducted, the regional commander of the Red Fangs had the authority to bring the criminal for a second trial in King's Landing. 

3) But that was not all. Taking into account the poverty and crime-ridden state of King's Landing, the queen commissioned parts of the capital, chiefly Flea bottom, to be razed to the ground and rebuilt into a proper living habitat. And now, no more stench filled the people's nostrils from the city. 

4) The queen also established at least one place of learning in every town. Administered by the Order of Maesters and the crown jointly, such places were meant to give some basic learning to the smallfolk, chiefly to read, write and do sums. Also, in the big cities like King's Landing and Lannisport, there was the possibility to learn a trade like blacksmithing, sewing and the like more easily in such places. These schools were difficult at first. Many smallfolk thought of them with suspicion in the beginning, but nowadays they are full of pupils. The Citadel still remains the highest place of learning, but it was no longer the only one.

5) She also established closer and stronger connections to Essos and chiefly the Free cities. Due to her time there, the queen already ruled a territory called the Bay of Dragons, formerly Slaver's bay. With the establishment of the Easternlands, the Seven Kingdoms made their first expansion, which pleased a great deal of war minded people. Not to mention, restore the dwindling economy of the Seven Kingdoms, or rather Eight Kingdoms.

6) Her greatest achievement, in his view, is the creation of the Dragon Bank of King's Landing. Centered in the capital, it became the chief bank of the Seven Kingdoms and the Easternlands, and made them independent from the Iron bank of Braavos.

It is truly a new world for Westeros, but while the realm has vastly improved, it is still Westeros. And the same people. With the same prejudices. Which is why, Kerwyn was worried about the queen's latest decision, to announce the marriage between her daughter Visenya and princess Alannys Greyjoy as legal. The faith would most certainly oppose it in some way, even though the current High Septon wouldn't. That show of defiance in the throne room was simply that - a show.

Kerwyn believed that it would be for the best to find the princess a husband, who would accept his wife's preferences. After all, while certainly taking offence, the chance to please the Queen of kings and become kin with the royal family was certainly reason enough to bear with it. But Kerwyn has long since learned not to think the queen would do the obvious choice. As the years passed, Kerwyn noticed she became bolder in her actions. Whatever she willed, she made it reality. That was both impressive and horrifying.

His thoughts were dragged back to the small council meeting, when Tyrion Lannister addressed the queen again.

"Your Grace, there will be consequences because of that."

"I know."

"Then why do it?", he sounded exasperated. "You know your house's history. Last time Targaryens made questionable marriage choices it ended in rebellions."

"I have five dragons. Surely this will make people think twice about declaring war on me, just because their sons can't marry my little girl."

"Yes, but..."

"No, but. If there are those who are stupid enough to rise up against me because of this, then let them. The realm is well rid of such fools, no?"

"So you did this, so that you will have a good reason to destroy potential dissent?", he asked. Frankly it was not such a bad plan, if not a little rough.

"You know that it is needed. Especially with that person, still lurking about."

"My tongue has grown weary of arguing about him. He is no threat to you. It has been more than 20 years now, nobody believed him then, nobody will believe him now. He is nothing. Let him play his little games, who cares?!"

"Hmmm. Fine. Whatever. Lord Merrick, any news on him?"

The master of whisperers spoke: "Since our esteemed viceroy reported him leaving for Westeros, I have had my little birds at the ports on high alert. Since Your Grace gave me this task, I have observed him moving further and further from your influence. After the formation of the Easternlands, he fled Volantis for Lys and then for Myr. Then he travelled to Braavos, but it seems that he has decided to sail for Westeros. And more specifically - for Dorne."

"And you still think that he is not plotting against me and my children?", she asked lord Tyrion.

"Even if he is, what of it? He can't attract prince Moran to his cause, the old man's children were legitimized by you, he owes you the future of his house."

"It was more than 20 years ago. You will go there in person. See if Sunspear has a new guest and remind prince Moran of his loyalties, lest he forces me to do so for him."

"I will go, too.", said the prince consort, who usually remained silent during the small council meetings. "A little show of force wouldn't hurt." Yes, riding a dragon certainly made people think twice about rebellion. 

* * *

The gardens were lush with flowers. Being the middle of summer, the place was beautiful. Gathered in a gazebo, were the ladies of the Red Keep. Rather, the ladies-in-waiting. Or as her father called them - the hens. Lyanna's time to give birth to her twins was almost upon her and she was quite annoyed. Not because of all the disgusting feelings her body was going through right now, but because of them. Apart from her sister and her lover, who were there only because she invited them, all the others were fawning over Lya's belly. All the different blessings and good wishes.

Catelyn Tully was young and wished to be married. Her father was negotiating with the old lady Arryn, who was already losing her wits, about betrothing Catelyn to her grandson Oswin._ My former betrothed_, Lya thought.   
It is true that he is handsome and all, but honestly he is so smug. And a most nauseating company ever since she married Rhae. A future lord paramount was left behind for a future king. It was natural that he would feel bad about it, but still... Lya liked Cate and she was certain that she won't enjoy a marriage to Oswin as much as she might think. The man was certainly not over the top being rejected. 

And of course her favorite, not really, lady Lynesse Lannister. She is a beautiful woman, not as beautiful as a Targaryen, but beautiful nonetheless. A daughter of a lord paramount. And that's all about her positive qualities. She was haughty, spiteful and a most horrid person. Masking her spite behind her smiles. Never partaking in their martial trainings, she just stood on the outside and never joined. Not once. She wanted to marry her Rhaellor, Lya knew. She would never have allowed it. Any woman would be better for him. They called him 'the prince of darkness' and that was not just because of his brooding. Lya knew that her brother-husband had a dark side. He felt fierce hatred for anyone who threatened their family. When she joked that Hightower might rise in rebellion for being denied his hand, he said he would simply burn the castle to the ground for threatening his family. And she knew him to be serious. And also knew that if he married Lynesse, she would no longer hide her not-so-witty remarks about her father. And that would mean that Rhaellor might kill her in broad daylight. So, best avoid that, no?!

Cassana was her oldest friend, even though the girl was younger than her. She might get betrothed to Mern Hightower, now that he is no longer 'arranged' for Vis. The man knew from the start that it was unlikely. Unlike his ambitious father and uncle, he knew that Vis didn't love him or any other man and mother would never force her to marry anyone, so Lya felt safe to tell him of her mother's little scheme. And now Vis knew that she knew.

"Oh, stop fawning over her belly, Lynesse. You are drooling. Hasn't our giant friend put one inside you already?", quipped Alannys, her new good sister. 

"Not yet, but at least I know that one day I will have one.", replied Lynesse with a smile that did nothing to conceal what she meant.

"Well, my never to be good-sister, some of us live for more than breeding like broodmares.", returned the slap Visenya, whose tongue was the only thing sharper than Dark Sister, the Valyrian steel sword worn by her namesake, recently found on an expedition beyond the Wall and gifted to her sister for her 17th nameday.

"Enough of this.", Lya decided to break it up before it got ugly. "You will scare off poor Cass and Cate with all that."

"Hardly princess." replied Cass. "I know that I am to marry eventually. Not all of us are children of the queen, free to do as we like."

"I resent that, Cass. I am married. Alannys has made an honest woman out of me.". Vis stated proudly and kissed Alannys as she was sitting in her lap. Which explained why the two of them were sitting farther from the others. Her friends easily accepted their relationship because they knew of it from the start and their little escapade did not change things for them that much. Still, Lya was not stupid enough to believe that the same is true for everyone else.

"Honest?", Cass asked with a smirk. "You cheated on cyvasse."

"I was young."

"That was this morning."

They all laughed at that. Lya, Vis, Aly and Cass were close friends. The fact that all of them basically grew up in the Red keep made sure of that. Lynesse was the only odd duck there and soon she won't be, for she and Loren were leaving for Casterly Rock in a fortnight. 

* * *

Mern was sparring with both Loren and the Crown prince. Which in itself was unfair. Mern was the weakest among the three best friends. Not that this made him weak. Loren was large and monstrously strong. The man could swing his greatsword, like an oversized stick. Rhaellor on the other hand was the most skillful of the three. And he wielded a valyrian steel blade, Dawnbreaker. It was a sword anyone would be jealous of. The blade had ripples across it and was smoky, like Valyrian steel usually was, but also had red shades. The hilt was black dragonbone, carved in the shape of a dragon with spread out wings. And its wielder was a master. He moved as if he were floating above the ground, moving with ease. His purple eyes were staring at him, as if piercing his very soul. The man has long since surpassed his father as the realm's greatest swordsman.

"Can't we take a break?", Mern asked. 

"Tired already, Hightower?"

"Well, Loren some of us are not tireless. And since Orys went back to Storm's End, I have been left without a partner."

"Speaking of..."

"Enough of your apologies, Rhaellor.", he said firmly. "I knew that I will never marry Vis. I am not an idiot. Besides, we wouldn't have been happy together. Not really. And I know that she has been in love with Alannys since before she ever spoke to me."

"Ah, women.", quipped Loren. "We married men know what it is like, right Rhae?"

"I am perfectly fine with mine."

"Of course you are. And mine little candle...she would rather be married to you."

"Seriously?", Mern asked them. "It has been years. He has two kids and two on the way. Shouldn't she have overcome this by now?"

Loren shook his head: "Alas, no. I can still hear her sometimes, when she thinks she is alone. Calling herself Lynesse Targaryen. Saying that she should be queen one day."

"Poor thing.", Mern japed. "Now she will be just Lynesse Lannister, lady of Casterly Rock and wife to one of the richest lords of the realm. How sad."

There was a crisis in the Rock 20 years back, when it was discovered that the mines had run dry, but after hiring experts from across the seas, lord Jaime discovered untapped veins of gold. The Lannisters were still one of the richest houses in Westeros, save of course for the Hightowers perhaps and for the Targaryens themselves.

"Aye. But your sister doesn't see it that way. Still, I hope that once we have children she will change for the better."

"One can only hope.", replied Mern. He truly pitied his friend. Lynesse was not the woman for him, but his father had insisted and the Lannisters were a great match, even if a second choice. Honestly, it is all grandfather's fault. He never should have filled sister's head with notions of queenship.

"Speaking of, is your mother gonna throw a woman at me too, Rhae?", he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"My mother doesn't throw women around. Most of the time. Still, there are talks about you and Catelyn Tully."

_Oh, boy. Well, at least it is not Cassana. Her temper is worse than her brother. "_All these wild women. I may be boring, but I would rather get a more boring one, thank you very much."

"Well, that excludes my sister, Joanna.", said Loren. "She will drive you mad, trust me. That leaves Tully's sister and Cass. And Cass is even wilder than my sister. So, hope for Tully."

"Honestly, mother is knitting a tight web of marriages.", quipped their prince. "At least, me, Lya and Vis got out of it fine. Good luck, guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter. I had an argument with a Stark stan and honestly, lol, I don't know which reality these guys live in, but it sure is not ours. Starks are always right and everyone else can eat shit...crazy....  
That kinda made me mad, but it was my bad. Should know better than to comment into Stark fics, least of all Jonsa fics. Totally different from what I write.  
Anyways, these are some reactions to the recent royal marriage, kinda mixed I know. Some other important things. Figured out who 'that person' is?


	15. The Dragon's Husband

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I was busy with my other fic. It's called The Wolf's Sun and is both Sansa-centric and Dany friendly. Shocking, I know.  
Anyways, here we are...

A dragon is not a slave. It chooses its rider. Not the other way around. And once chosen, that's it. You will ride the dragon until the day one of you dies. The rider most likely, for dragons can live for centuries. And yet Jon Targaryen, a man who has gone through many names, has a second dragon. He never truly appreciated his previous one - Rhaegal, named after his father, his true father. Back then he was too confused to realize who he was and what everything meant. He almost lost everything. Key word being 'almost'.

Born Aegon Targaryen.

Lived and died as Jon Snow, bastard of lord Ned Stark of Winterfell. Bastard of Winterfell.

Reborn and lived as Jon Snow, bastard of lord Ned Stark and King in the North.

Revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of his name, Rightful king of the Seven kingdoms.

He might have died as nothing. Simply that. A lost boy who knew nothing. _You know nothing, Jon Snow. _Ah, Ygritte, how right she was. 

But then, he learned. He learned what it was like to truly bond with someone. To love someone. And eventually, he found himself. Thankfully, just in time. Just in time to realize how stupid Jon Snow and Aegon Targaryen truly were. Fools. What is love compared to a woman's love? What is cold duty compared to having a loving family? What is brooding over losses compared to defending and loving the woman you love? What is duty to people who loath you to the one to your own family?

So many questions. Neither Aegon Targaryen nor Jon Snow held them. But Jon Targaryen did.

_I love my wife. I love my son. I love my daughters. I love my grandchildren._

_Daenerys. _For all her strength, she too wants to be loved and to love.

_Rhaellor. _Who despite his resemblance to himself, neither Jon nor Dany held any doubt, that he would surpass them all.

_Lyanna. _Who was loving and kind, compassionate and wise.

_Visenya. _Who was born with the spirit of freedom, with the 'wolf's blood' was lord Stark used to say. She would love whom she liked. And none can tell the dragon who to love. No one.

_Aegon and __Rhaenys. _Both so young, so full of possibilities. 

_And those on the way. _We are waiting for you.

_I love you all above all else. _

Thus was set the mind of Jon Targaryen, Prince Consort of the Seven Kingdoms, Husband of the mighty Queen of Kings. 

"Are we there yet?"

"Soon. You know, you didn't have to come with me right?"

"Nonsense. How could I miss a trip on dragonback. To Dorne, where the brothels work all night."

"Some things never change."

"Yes. For instance, twenty years later and I am still not allowed to bring whores into the Tower of the Hand. She is a real slaver, our lovely queen."

The wind blew from all sides, while they were riding atop Eddarion, heading to Sunspear to seek answers from the Prince of Dorne. Well, Jon was riding, while Tyrion was clutching at his back. The dragons now had saddles, each light and yet extremely comfortable. One's ass did not hurt even after a whole day of flying. The saddle was large enough for a rider and a companion. Though the rider needed to be present at all times, otherwise the dragon will throw off the other party. 

"I still think that it is a waste of time. She is worrying over nothing."

"You heard the council reports of the man avoiding us at all times. If he is who he claims he is, then why not come to us all these years ago? Instead, he hides and runs and runs."

"Maybe he is scared of her. He should be. If he is who he says he is, he most likely suspects that he has a target on his back ever since Volantis. I doubt that the Triarchs left him with much choice, when they announced his identity to the whole of Westeros."

"Everybody thought it a lie back then. But Daenerys will always have enemies. Her new laws, while beneficial for the country, are most certainly scaring the nobility."

"So what? You think they will run to his side? Ha, I thought that you have grown smarter Jon. She has crushed every enemy she has ever faced. This man is going to be nothing more than a brief amusement. She needs one though. Your wife must be getting bored. After fixing Westeros, what does she have to do now?"

"Rule it. Look after the kids and grandkids."

"Fuck you till your balls are dry, you lucky bastard."

"Don't tempt me to throw you off the saddle, Dwarf of Casterly Rock."

"Say what you like, but according to the servants, you two are still fucking each other as much as you did in the beginning of your marriage. Trying for another dragon?"

"No, we decided we did not need more children. And according to the maester, it isn't safe for her to get pregnant anymore. So she drinks some herb that makes it safe for us to..."

"...Ride the dragon?"

"I swear, one more jape and you get tossed off."

"And then you will have to find another Lannister dwarf to replace me. Good luck with that."

As expected, Tyrion did not shut up till they were at Sunspear. Two days and a half of dragon riding and listening to Tyrion talking. A true example of a combination of a pleasant thing and a torment. They stopped for a break at Storm's end, where he visited his old friend, Lord Gendry and his wife, lady Serena. After a brief stay, they left the next day, for Dorne and Sunspear.

The place was impressive from the sky. He understood why his ancestors had trouble taking Dorne. The baking sun, the heat, the sands....  
It was like invading hell, similar to the North, but in reverse. Jon and Tyrion landed Eddarion in the yards of Sunspear, with Eddarion making a deafening roar in order to announce that they were here.

_As if no one saw the massive dragon in the sky. You are a show off my boy. _His only pet, so to speak. Ghost had died of old age a few years back. He missed his old friend. But life went on.

The Dornish scurried around and soon enough they were met by their hosts. The Elderly Prince Moran and his children came to greet them.

"Prince Aegon. Lord Tyrion.", Moran greeted them. Even though he kept calling himself Jon, people in Westeros had known him officially as Aegon Targaryen, for the sakes of legitimacy. There were still those who doubted his identity. Even with Eddarion around.

_People don't always know their own minds. We have to teach them. _When she had first said those words, he thought her a tyrant in the makings, but she had quickly convinced him that she wasn't entirely wrong. Many people in Westeros preferred to have people around to tell them what to think. Or traditions to strip them of more complex choices.

"Prince Moran. Prince Qoren. Princess Elianna.", he returned the greeting. "We apologize for the unexpected visit, however an urgent matter has come to our attention."

"Whatever do you mean?", asked prince Moran. 

"Let's cut to the chase already.", Tyrion barked. Despite his goofy personality when among friends, he could be very authoritative when it came to the business of the crown. "We know he is here. In Dorne. In Sunspear. I would urge you not to play games, prince Moran. Lest something tragic were to befall your house. Again."

"Are you threatening my family, imp?", a man, presumably Qoren Martell, all but shouted at Tyrion.

"Enough!", a voice spoke. "I will not have blood spilled because of me. Not again."

A man appeared In the courtyard. He was about Jon's height and possibly age, his skin was of a darker shade though. His eyes were lilac and his hair silver. A beard of the same color was on his lower face. _So there he was...._

"So, let me has it a guess.", Tyrion began. "You must be Aegon Targaryen, right?"

"Son of Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia. Yes, that is me."

* * *

Her story is a long one. And her father's story might explain it better. Her father's name is Aegon Targaryen, son of prince Rhaegar of Westeros. When her father was but a baby, a brutal rebellion began in Westeros against his mad grandfather. The brutal warlord, Robert Baratheon sought to kill prince Rhaegar, for kidnapping a woman that was never Robert's to love. But alas, for more than 20 years most of the world did not know that detail and all but few knew Rheagar as a kidnapper and a rapist. In truth, the crown prince's wife had given him permission to pursue the lady Lyanna, for she knew that her husband loved her and wanted another child. And princess Elia was too sick for her to give him one. She also suspected that she will not live too long after her last child, my father. Indeed she was right, though the circumstances were of a different nature.

Once her grandfather was killed, her grandmother and aunt followed, and a man, of loyalty uncertain, decided to spirit away her father, without the knowledge of his mother.

For 20 years, her father was raised in secret by prince Rhaegar's greatest friend. A man called Jon Connington. All in preparation for Aegon Targaryen to become king of the Seven Kingdoms.

But the Spider, who hatched this scheme, had other plots. He had been aiding Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryen all at the same time. Whom did he serve? Did he serve anyone other than himself. She did not know. No one truly did.

Her father was informed that soon he would have his right. The Golden company, the greatest mercenaries in the known world, would have supported him, he was told. But would they? They did not. 

In the end, they sold themselves to the Usurper Cersei Lannister, the daughter of the man responsible for the death of his sister and mother. To be used against his aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, also known as the Mother of Dragons. A living legend, who had hatched dragons from stone, subjugated the Dothraki and conquered all of Westeros. A woman, whose will was absolute. A benevolent ruler or a tyrant, many speculated. When the Golden Company broke their promise to her father, his caretaker, lord Jon Connington was killed and her father was wounded. But survived and stayed in Volantis, as a guest to a noble family, whose daughter her father fell in love with. _My mother. _

During, what is now known, as the Second Targaryen Anti-Slavery Campaign, Volantis rose against the Dragon Queen and, in their foolishness, proclaimed her father as the Rightful king of Westeros, angering the Dragon queen so much so that she burned the Palace of the Triarchs to the ground. Her father had managed to escape and had been running since then, taking her with him. With mother dead in childbirth, they were left alone and on the run, mostly out of fear. Her father had a superior claim to the Iron throne and, while he had given up on it long ago, he knew that plotters and schemers cared not. All papa wanted was for their family to be safe. But he grew tired of moving from one city to the next. So he came to Westeros, to Dorne, to family.

"And who might she be?", the man, known as the Imp also hand of the queen asked, pointing at her.

"This is my daughter, princess Elia Targaryen.", her father answered. 

"Of course, you understand that your story is a difficult one to believe in, right?", asked her father's namesake.

"As a man of similar circumstances, I had hopes that you would be familiar with such things.", her father quipped. "But I am, who I claim to be. Why else being here? I have seen your dragon. I have seen what your wife, our aunt, can do with a dragon. If I were a pretender, would I really come to Westeros and expose myself so?"

"Complicated schemes are the Spider's specialty. Or were, now that he is dead. The queen burned him alive."

"I have heard. The fool tried to manipulate the dragon. And conspire against her and even try to poison her, if the rumors are true. He sealed his fate.", her father said.

"What is it that you seek in Westeros, prince Aegon? I hope that it is not the Iron throne, for I fear that won't end well for you at all."

"It is not that. Look, I admit that once upon a time, I dreamt of sitting on it. But these days are long gone now. I can see that our House is restored and that we have a great monarch. A great queen, all to the spite of all those who claim that women are not fit to rule. And I know that each of your dragons have riders. So, why oppose you, exactly? I am not mad, despite family history."

"Say I believe that, I will ask again. What do you seek here?"

"To be among family. That is all.", her father said. "I will come to King's Landing and publicly forswear any claim I have to the Iron throne, if that will please your wife."

"I believe it will. She is dying to meet you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of my Aegon? And his daughter?  
Not to mention Jon's official and absolute end for his identity crisis.


	16. The Queen's Other Nephew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting so rarely now, but I am still looking for ways to end this fic. I am going to start writing a new one and this one's gotta end somehow. If you have any ideas, they will be appreciated.
> 
> Still, here is another chapter. Dany meets Aegon (young griff) and Elia.
> 
> IT is a short one, sorry, but as already stated, I am running out of plot for this fic.

"Please, your Grace. These are most slanderous accusations. I have always been loyal to the realm."

"What you are, High Septon, is a lickspittle who was amusing to keep around. That is until you decided to commit treason against my family by telling your lies."

"This...union...it is ungodly."

"MY Family stands ABOVE your petty gods.", she shouted at him, her patience having worn thin. The throne room was empty save for her family and her small council. And her newest nephew of course. She wanted him here to witness this. He had brought his daughter as well. Elia Targaryen. A sweet girl. 

While at first trying to deny the possibility, seeing it as impossible, Bran's words confirmed it. Aegon, son of Rhaegar and Elia, is her nephew. 

She had to focus on her accused though. His high Holiness had decided to keep talking against her children. Against Visenya, her little girl who sought happiness. Truth be told, she would have rather married her to someone she could control and then let her and Alannys just enjoy themselves. None would stand against a dragon's wrath after all. Still, here we are. His High Stupidity was about to get dismissed.

"You are dismissed, High Septon. My guards shall escort you to your home. You best not show yourself in court in the coming weeks. And if I hear one more word from you against my kin it will be your head." Her Unsullied lead him out.

"I am surprised that you dismissed him so easily, your Grace.", her other nephew spoke. "I would think that you would have killed him on the spot."

"I am not a savage." Better to poison him discreetly.

"So it seems."

"I believe it is time we had a chat you and I. Privately.", she needed no audience for this. She sent her children and his own away as well as her council and she and the two Aegons were left alone.

"So...Aegon Targaryen met Aegon Targaryen....how does it feel?", she couldn't help but quip on that. How could Rhaegar name his two children the same she will never know. Many Lyanna Stark was the one who named Jon and she simply lacked imagination. 

"As odd as can be expected.", her husband replied. "But he is genuine, yes?"

"He is."

"May I ask how you confirmed it?"

"His cousin, lord Brandon is a greenseer. He can see past, present and sometimes future.", she said as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "I know who you are and....I would like to get to know you."

He told her his story. In many ways, it was similar to her own, but still different. He was raised by people who cared for him and protected him. As far as she saw though, many of his allies turned on him as soon as she took the throne. They had needed him no more. She couldn't help but pity the man who had been nothing but a puppet in the hands of others - Illyrio, Varys, maybe even this Jon Connington. Regardless of all that, she decided to keep him here.

"If you want to stay here, you can. You are my family. So is Elia. All I ask is that both of you publicly renounce all rights to the Iron Throne and proclaim me as the lawful queen and my children and grandchildren as the only heirs."

She thought that he would argue about this, but surprisingly enough he agreed right away. "I do not want the Iron Throne. Not anymore in any case. All I ask for is a home and...to help me secure Elia's future."

"You will have both. From what Jon told me, Elia is a lovely girl. She is also pretty and a Targaryen. I will find her a good husband, I promise you that. Neither she nor you will lack for anything any more." If there won't be any problems with him then why not?! Elia is young and unmarried. So are plenty of young lords, including some here in the capital. Perhaps the Hightowers will get their Targaryen princess after all.

* * *

Being in King's Landing was a strange feeling. The Red Keep was very large and the guards all over the place made it even more imposing. Though not as much as the dragons in the sky. Large and mighty, they were a sight to behold. The living proof of Targaryen supremacy. Prince Rhaellor escorted her throughout the Keep. He was a beautiful man. Black hair that shone in the light, purple eyes, a handsome face - women would kill for such a man. And she was certain that some must have, when he married the princess Lyanna. But the one thing that fixated her eyes was not him, but the dragons dancing in the sky.

"Impressive, are they not?", her cousin, prince Rhaellor spoke. "Alas, each of them has a rider, but who knows....perhaps one of the eggs will hatch and you will have one for yourself one day."

"I don't know if I am even going to stay here. If father and your mother don't-"

"They will. If mother wanted him dead he would be. She could have located him in any number of ways but she never truly tried. She likes playing games, you see."

"But that is..."

"Awful?", he smiled. "Mother has achieved a great many things and believes herself always right. She usually is, you know. Lord Tyrion says that mother hated politics, but I believe that is a thing of the past. She enjoys it you know."

"Enjoys what?"

"The game of thrones.", he smiled at her again, like an adult educating a child. "Now come. Let me introduce you to my siblings and friends."

* * *

Aegon was taken to what would be his chambers. Luxury was present everywhere and it was obvious that such chambers were for royalty. She would live well here. His Elia. Since she was born, she has meant everything for him. He would secure her future. To be honest, he didn't expect Daenerys to be so approachable. But she was. She accepted him with open arms. _If only I had come here since the beginning. _ And yet he hadn't. Instead he ran like a coward, carrying his daughter and trying to run away from an enemy that wasn't an enemy.

His heart still beats fast though. She has a reputation that strongly implies that what happens to her enemies is not at all nice. The way she handled the representative of the gods. It was impressive and left no doubt as to who held power over who. He had heard stories of what happens when septons take themselves too seriously.

It is all in the past though. Now he had to arrange Elia's future. Daenerys had said that she would find her a proper match and he would count on that. Moran had proposed for her to marry his son, but the man was too old for her. He would have to look elsewhere. There were many unmarried future lords in the castle, several heirs to great houses. 

She even implied that he would get a post on the small council if he proved his honesty and loyalty. 

* * *

"You trusted him too easy."

"Did I, Jon? He is our family."

"You know full well that doesn't mean he would not stand against us."

"IF he does, well...it is not like we will have a problem. I could use the exercise.", she chuckled. Her boredom is the only true threat to the realm.

"What of his daughter?"

"We will arrange a fine match for her. Perhaps Mern Hightower. A good way to placate the power-hungry reachmen."

"And what happened with the High Septon?"

"Oh, haven't you heard? Apparently, he choked on his meal. The Maesters say that he hadn't suffered too much. We will need a new one. Preferably one who is not stupid enough to side against us."

"It is resolved then. No one will threaten Visenya."

"There will always be those with a head, empty enough to use their tongue to insult her. And us. But yes, she is safe. The old fool's words can endanger us no longer."


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. Hope you have enjoyed the ride.

Elia Targaryen's betrothal to ser Mern Hightower was one to surprise the people. Mostly because nobody knew of her existence until three months ago, when she and her father appeared in the spotlight. The long thought dead first born son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, Aegon Targaryen bent the knee alongside his daughter to queen of kings Daenerys Targaryen. A crisis was averted before one even began. To the disappointment of some conspirators, who soon enough found themselves in peril. 

There would always be those who seek to cause chaos in the realm. And they would all fail, one at a time. 

Elia Targaryen and Mern Hightower were married in the Great Sept of Daenerys, a building twice the size of its predecessor and named after the queen herself. How fortunate it was for both of them that they quickly befriended each other. A political marriage to quell the ambitions of House Hightower and yet one not destined for misery. Many a lady were disappointed to be outdone by a newcomer from the eastern provinces of the Targaryen realm but none of them voiced their views aloud in the face of the great queen who spoke with only approval of the marriage. The approval of lord Hightower was also present. After all he had been waiting for so long to have a Targaryen princess into his family and now he had it.

When lord Tyrion died at the age of 67 due to complications from his constant drinking, a new hand was required. The nature choice was Aegon Targaryen himself, who had served as his assistant for years, helping the aging hand. An able man and to the surprise of many loyal to the queen, he proved himself a most capable hand for years to come.

After lord Edmure Tully passed away, his son Edmund was recalled to Riverrun to serve as its new lord and lord paramount of the Trident. A new viceroy was appointed - Visenya Targaryen, daughter of queen Daenerys, who had spent much time living in Volantis, the capital of the Easternlands. Visenya and her wife, the princess Alannys Greyjoy lived out the remainder of their days ruling ably the Essosi parts of the realm. Of course they would often visit King's Landing, to the delight of their kin.

Queen Daenerys Targaryen ruled ably and justly, sometimes a little mischievously, for fifty years. Some say the best years Westeros has ever head or ever will. But who knows, perhaps her son will surpass her in time. Her funeral was attended by people from all over the world. From Dorne to the Wall and from the Iron Islands to the Bone Mountains in Eastern Essos, tens of thousands of people paid their respects to the passing of the legendary Mother of Dragons. Her pyre was lit by her mount, Drogon, The Winged Shadow, who roared in sadness at the passing of his mother. Her ashes became the first to be interred inside the Great Sept bearing her name. Half of them, at least. The other half went to the Red Temple of King's Landing, whose clergy lit great fires in honor of the passing of The Prince That Was Promised. 

Her husband, a man no less famous, Prince Consort Aegon "Jon" Targaryen passed away in his sleep the following year. He showed neither sadness nor fear at his second and final passing, as he firmly believed that he and his wife would be reunited in the Afterlife.

And indeed they were, as they discovered when they met each other again, looking the same as the day they first met, all those years on Dragonstone. The Lord of Light had fashioned an afterlife for his champion, his final reward for all their suffering and losses in his name. Not that the arrogant god believed for even a moment that they fought for what they believed is right and not him. He discovered soon enough though, when Daenerys, true to her promise to herself from all those years ago, deposed the Lord of Light and they took his place, her final and perhaps greatest conquest.

As for those still living, they moved on. King Rhaellor of House Targaryen, First of His Name, King of Kings and so on, alongside his wife, the queen Lyanna led Westeros into a new Golden Age of prosperity, not only for the Highborn but for the Smallfolk as well.

The Realm was at peace and all was well.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that there aren't too many disappointed with the rushed final but I think that I just had to end things. This is it. I hope you have enjoyed it.

**Author's Note:**

> Well what do you think? Please comment and leave kudos. This is the fuel of the good writer.


End file.
